MosJan

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT INTRODUCES THE NEW PROSECUTOR GENERAL 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. The President of Armenia Robert Kocharian introduced today the newly appointed Prosecutor General Aram Tamazian to the members of the Board of the Prosecutor's Office, Mediamax was informed in the press office of the president. Stating that a priority for the Prosecutor's Office is to preserve lawfulness in the country, Armenian President stressed that PO officials "must serve only to the law and state". Robert Kocharian noted that the new Prosecutor has worked in the Prosecutor's Office for a long time and is well familiar with the activity of the system and its problems. --0--

WINNERS OF THE TENDER FOR PRIVATIZATION OF DISTRIBUTIVE POWER NETWORKS OF ARMENIA WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY THE END OF THIS MONTH 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. Armenian Energy Minister Karen Galustian told today the journalists that the winners of the international tender for privatization of 4 distributive power networks of Armenia will be announced by the end of this month. The Minister said in the near future the legal advisers will submit the final variant of the contract to the tender commission, after which the document will be presented to the participants of the tender - the American AES Silk Road company, the Spanish Union Fenosa and the Swiss-Swedish ABB concern. Karen Galustian said the Energy Law, which is discussed today in the National Assembly, will promote the process of the networks privatization and will become a legislative basis for the formation of a civilized energy market. --0--

43 DEPUTIES SUGGEST THE QUESTION OF ARMENIA'S JOINING TO RUSSIA-BELARUS UNION BE CONSIDERED 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. Deputy of the Armenian parliament Aghasi Arshakian said at today's briefing that 43 deputies of the National Assembly suggest convoking a special parliamentary session in order to consider the possibilities of Armenia's joining to Russia-Belarus Union. Armenian President Robert Kocharian has repeatedly declared that the question of joining to Russia-Belarus Union "is not on the foreign agenda of the country". The initiative group needs at least 66 deputy signatures to convoke the special parliamentary session. --0--

TURKEY "ASTONISHED" AT ARMENIA'S REJECTION OF ARMENIAN-AZERI-TURKISH TALKS 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. Ankara is "astonished" at Armenia's negative reaction to Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's proposal to hold a trilateral Armenian-Azeri-Turkish meeting on Artsax issue settlement. As the Turkish NTV reported, the Foreign Ministry of Turkey believes that either Armenia misunderstood Cem's proposal or it is doing this to force Turkey to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia. Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Dzyunik Aghajanian, commenting on Cem's proposal, told Mediamax on Feb. 17 that considering the absence of diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, as well as Turkey's biased position in the Artsax peace process, Ankara cannot be a mediator in this process. --0--

EUROPEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ORTHODOX ASSEMBLY HAS PROVED ITS VITALITY, SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT THINKS 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. The chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Khachatrian, speaking at the international conference entitled "The church, state, society and crisis of liberal doctrine of world reconstruction", which began today in Yerevan, stated that the European Inter-parliamentary Orthodox Assembly has proved its urgency and vitality in the course of years of its activity. The speaker of the Armenian parliament noted in his greeting speech that the European Inter-parliamentary Orthodox Assembly "has become a guarantor of consolidation of common spiritual, political and economic space of coreligionist people and sovereign states, historically developing within the frames of oriental-Christian traditional heritage". The organizers of this international conference are the National Assembly of Armenia, the European Inter-parliamentary Orthodox Assembly and the International fund of orthodox people's union. The European Inter-parliamentary Orthodox Assembly was established at the constituent assembly in the Athens in 1993 on the initiative of Russia and Greece. The full members of the organization are Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Yugoslavia, Greece, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldavia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Czech and Finland. --0--

KOCHARIAN'S VISIT TO KIEV WILL GIVE A NEW IMPULSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS 21.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 21. /Mediamax/. President of Armenia Robert Kocharian and the co-chairman of the Armenian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation issues, Vladimir Novitsky stressed at today's meeting in Yerevan that the visit of the Armenian President to Kiev will give a new impulse to the development of bilateral relations. As Mediamax was informed in the presidential press office, V. Novitsky presented to the Armenian President the results of the work of the second meeting of the Armenian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation, held in Yerevan on Feb. 20-21. The interlocutors singled out energy, industry, tourism and agricultural products processing as prior directions of the bilateral cooperation. Novitsky informed the President that the commission approved at the session the whole packet of documents, to be signed by the Armenian and Ukrainian leaders during the official visit of Robert Kocharian to Kiev on March 1-2. --0--

ham el yes Nor HAyerin chem sirum -

es vor mekna yes chem hisum inchvor ???

hmm - if not Armenian than atlis Abarantsy or Karabaghtsy

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Shnorhakal em Bolor Xorhurdneri hamar k@portsem bolorn el Hogachap shnorhakal em .

Searching for support YMCA hopes to raise awareness, encourage financial assistance among local Armenians with fund-raising dinner. By CLAUDIA PESCHIUTTA GLENDALE -- A call for support from the YMCA of Glendale to the local Armenian community is already generating response, officials said Friday. Nearly all 300 tickets for a Feb. 23 fund-raising dinner targeted at local Armenians had been sold by Friday, said Craig Yaussi, an organizer of the YMCA event. About 40% of the YMCA's 5,000 members are Armenian, as are 90% of the 300 young people in the facility's swimming programs, Yaussi said. Jonathan Sagherian said he and other members of the YMCA's board of directors realized more financial support was needed from the area's Armenian community. "We saw that the Armenian community is benefiting greatly from the Y services," he said. "We were not helping and doing our fair share in contributing to the general budget of the Y ... on the fund-raising end. "There are so many Armenian organizations right now that are ... vying for the same dollars," Sagherian said. "We felt that if we did this function, we could bring [the YMCA] more to the forefront." The support of the area's Armenian community could help keep kids in YMCA programs, Yaussi said. "We are supporting the Armenian community," he said. "It's important that somebody who can afford it ... give back to the Y so we can keep these kids coming through the doors." Sagherian said the dinner has attracted much support from local Armenian business owners, who will donate the food and provide their services for the event. IF YOU GO * WHAT: YMCA fund-raising dinner for the area's Armenian community. * WHEN: The event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday. * WHERE: YMCA of Glendale, 130 N. Louise St. * INFO: Proceeds from the event will benefit the YMCA. The Hayrenik Dance Ensemble and children in YMCA programs will perform. * COST: Tickets are $30. Reservations are requested. * CALL: For reservations or more information, call 240-4130

http://www.latimes.com/photos/20010221/g8z1oike.gif Wednesday, February 21, 2001 | Print this story Matild Manukyan; Turkish Brothels Made Her Wealthy By AMBERIN ZAMAN, Special to The Times ANKARA, Turkey--Matild Manukyan, the queen of Turkish brothels and one of the country's wealthiest women, died of heart failure Saturday in her palatial Istanbul apartment. She was 84. Descended from an aristocratic Armenian family, Manukyan attended Istanbul's posh Notre Dame de Sion school, run by French nuns, before launching her first career as a haute couture seamstress for the city's Westernized high society. When a customer offered her one of his brothels to settle an unpaid debt, Manukyan found herself in the murky world of prostitution, which is a legal business in Turkey as long as it is carried out in brothels registered with local governments. A shrewd businesswoman, she proved tougher than her all-male competitors, building up a chain of 32 brothels. During an interview in 1994, she said she prided herself on having "the healthiest, best behaved and most beautiful girls in all Istanbul." So great was her fortune that in the early 1990s she was Istanbul's top taxpayer for five years running. Her fiscal probity earned her considerable official praise. Framed letters from Turkey's top politicians, including the late President Turgut Ozal, thanking her for her sense of civic duty, adorned the walls of her home. The onetime beauty was widely hailed for her philanthropy. She donated tens of thousands of dollars from her multimillion-dollar fortune to hospitals and other charities. Eventually, she became an establishment figure in this predominantly Muslim country. But her vast wealth, which she invested in real estate, made her prey to gangsters operating protection rackets in Istanbul. They are believed to have been responsible for a car bomb attack in 1995 in which Manukyan nearly died. She had to be operated on 12 times and never fully recovered from her injuries. In 1996, Manukyan fell from public grace when she was detained for employing underage girls in her parlors. That year she also announced she had converted to Islam, and she provoked public furor by seeking permission to build a mosque. Turkey's government-appointed top cleric, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, sided with Manukyan, citing an edict from the prophet Muhammad that anyone who declares himself Muslim is purged of all previous sins. Therefore, he argued, it was all right for her to use her earnings to put up a place of worship. Manukyan is survived by a son, Kerope Cilingir. [ February 21, 2001: Message edited by: MosJan ]

Program brings new source of hope Bone marrow donor recruitment center opens with donors, visit from Armenian first lady. By CLAUDIA PESCHIUTTA SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- With the prick of a syringe in her right arm, Anait Papikyan on Tuesday became the first visitor of a local recruitment center for the world's only Armenian bone marrow donor registry. First Lady of Armenia Bella Kocharyan and a crowd of officials and registry supporters gathered at Glendale Memorial Hospital to celebrate the opening of a second recruitment center for the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust. "It is very important for our nation to have our own registry," Kocharyan said through a translator. "This is to save children and, also, adults." The project was co-founded by Dr. Frieda Jordan of Glendale in 1999 to help find bone-marrow donors to meet the specific needs of Armenians suffering from leukemia and other blood-related diseases. Space for the Glendale recruitment center was donated by Glendale Memorial, a supporter of the project. The first recruitment center opened in December in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. For Jordan, the opening of a recruitment center in Glendale was "the realization of a dream." "My mission has just started," she said. "Now, we can do the real work." Kocharyan marked the event by presenting hospital President Arnold Schaffer and Dr. Bruce Finstead, chairman of the Glendale Memorial Board of Directors, with a painting depicting the Annunciation of the birth of Christ. Papikyan, a Glendale Memorial employee, was happy to be the local center's first donor. "This is a very good program," she said. "I would like to support it." This project can join Armenians in the homeland and abroad, Kocharyan said. "This is another opportunity to link all Armenians together and act as a bridge," she said. HOW TO HELP * WHAT: Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust. * DONATIONS: Checks should be made out to the Armenian Bone Marrow Project and sent to the trust at 347 W. Stocker St., No. 208, Glendale, CA 91202. * CONTACT: For more information, e-mails can be sent to: frieda.jordan@att.net.

Armenian first lady shows support of project By TIM WILLERT GLENDALE -- Armenia's first lady, Bella Kocharyan, was among 400 people who turned out at the Glendale Hilton on Saturday night in support the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust. The trust is set to open its second donor recruitment center Tuesday at Glendale Memorial Hospital, which has donated space in its cancer center. Saturday's fund-raiser took in $15,000, said Dr. Frieda Jordan, chairwoman of the trust. "I was extremely pleased with the turnout," Jordan said. "It was extremely successful." The project seeks to to find bone marrow donors who match the specific needs of Armenians worldwide with leukemia and other blood-related diseases. In December, the project raised enough money to open a tissue-typing center in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The project's goal is to register 10,000 potential Armenian bone marrow donors by 2004. Also on Saturday, Glendale Memorial officials announced plans to increase the hospital's commitment to the project from three to six years, Jordan said. "That's a very, very big help," she said. "Without their help we wouldn't be able to type as many donors as we would like to." In the photo above, Kocharyan, center, and Jordan, right, are greeted by Dr. Aida Shirinian at Saturday's fund-raiser.

Turkey Proposes Armenian-Azeri Peace Talks ANKARA (combined sources)--At the conference of the Turkish Economic and Social Foundation on Saturday February 17 the Armenian Foreign Ministry gave the cold shoulder to a proposal by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to hold a meeting with Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the Nagorno-Artsax conflict. "I think that a meeting of officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan with Turkey would be a serious contribution to a solution," Cem said, without indicating whether Turkey sought to mediate between the former Soviet states. The minister's remarks appear to be the first steps in the Turkish plan to normalize ties with Armenia in order to halt charges of genocide against them. The proposal appeared to be a move by Turkey to approach Armenia, but it received a cool response by a senior Armenian diplomat participating in the conference. Samuel Mkrtchian of Armenia's Foreign Ministry balked at the proposal. "For the time being, I don't see a chance for this. Maybe the first step should be taken in bilateral relations, and then we can look into the possibility of such a meeting," said Mkrtchian, who was present at the meeting. "We are desperately in need of establishing diplomatic ties with Turkey, because it is to the well-being of the whole region. Turkey's position on Nagorno-Artsax has always been one-sided, in favor of Azerbaijan, and before holding trilateral talks we should first establish diplomatic ties," he said. Mkrtchian also pointed out that a trilateral platform will exclude the so-called Minsk group, appointed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to oversee Nagorno-Artsax peace talks. The mere presence of Mkrtchian at the conference of the Turkish Economic and Social Foundation was seen as a sign of warming in ties between the two neighbors. Yigit Alpogan, who is in charge of the Caucasus at Turkey's Foreign Ministry, highlighted the significance of such a meeting. "This proposal is something very remarkable in view that Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations,'' Alpogan said. Carey Cavanaugh, the US State Department's negotiator for the Nagorno-Artsax dispute, welcomed the possibility of a three-way meeting and of improved relations between Turkey and Armenia. ''The lack of relationship between Turkey and Armenia is not natural,'' the US diplomat said. Cavanaugh noted that there had been progress in the peace process, sponsored by the Minsk group which includes the United States, France and Russia. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents met in Paris last month to discuss prospects of a peace deal. Azeri President Heydar Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian met in Paris in January in the latest bid to end the conflict over Nagorno-Artsax. Cem said that there are great opportunities for the Caucasian peoples in the beginning of the 21st century. Noting that the Caucasus provides great economic, political and strategic opportunities, Cem said that the two important aims of Turkey in the beginning of 21st century is to become a full member of EU and be a determining country in Eurasia. He added that the Caucasus has to use its sources and opportunities, and that requires peace, stability and security. Cem indicated that the Caucasus Stability Pact has been submitted to the concerned countries as a proposal. In a related development, a senior government source in Yerevan confirmed that Armenian President Robert Kocharian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Heydar Aliyev, are likely to meet again in Paris early next month to continue their direct talks on a Artsax peace deal. The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the idea to hold another Armenian-Azerbaijani summit was suggested by French President Jacques Chirac during Kocharian's state visit to France last week. The most recent Kocharian-Aliyev meeting, held in Paris last month, was also arranged by the French leader. Aliyev's decision to fly to Paris in the wake of France's official recognition of the Armenian genocide was criticized by Ankara. 2) Pope Remembers Armenian Martyrdom on Anniversary VATICAN CITY (combined sources)--Pope John Paul paid homage to the Armenian Church's history of martyrdom on its 1,700th anniversary on February 17. The pontiff presided at an Armenian rite service at St. Peter's Basilica with the Armenian Catholic Patriarch, Nerses Bedros XIX. The liturgy was slow and solemn, including choirs and ancient chant. "The whole Armenian culture and spirituality has been pervaded by boldness characterized by the supreme sign of giving one's life in martyrdom," the pope wrote in an apostolic letter to mark the anniversary. After the Mass, he spoke of the 1915 killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, calling it "martyrdom" a "constant element" of Armenian history. "It is a memory which must not be forgotten," the 80-year-old Pontiff said, although he stopped short of mentioning Turkey or using the word "genocide." Indeed, before his farewell to the Armenian pilgrims and the 20,000 faithful who gathered in St. Peter's Square at the end of the Mass, the Holy Father said: "Martyrdom is a constant element in the history" of the Armenian people. "Seventeen centuries ago, the word of Christ resounded in Armenia," the Pope said. "It was an alliance that did not need rethinking, despite the fact that fidelity cost blood, and exile was the price for refusing to renounce it." In his homily, the Pope addressed the contemporary challenges Armenians face. "In experiencing increasingly the influence of secularization in the modern world, at times it is difficult to continue to maintain firmly this spiritual legacy, which has made Armenia a 'Christian' nation," the Holy Father said. "At times faith is considered only a personal gift and quest, forgetting that it is the common property of a people." The Pontiff explained the challenge now faced by Christianity with a question: "How is it possible for the social conquests of modernity not to lose the richness of the continuity of a people and their faith?" The Armenian Catholic patriarch received from the Pope the gift of a relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator, something the Pope had offered Karekin, saying: "Let us not divide the relics; rather, let us work and pray that those who receive them will unite." The Holy Father ended his words expressing two profound hopes: to visit Armenia and to promote unity among Christians. "Now I anxiously await the day in which, God willing, I will finally be able to kiss your beloved land, sprinkled with the blood of so many martyrs; visit monasteries where men and women were spiritually immolated to follow the Paschal Lamb; meet Armenians of today, who are determined to find dignity, stability and security of life again. Rome and the Armenian Church maintain good relations and the Pope has been invited to visit Armenia later this year by Catholicos Karekin II. 3) EU Delegation Visits Armenia YEREVAN (Armenpress)--President Robert Kocharian received a European Union delegation headed by Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Christopher Patten and Javier Solana in Yerevan on February 20th. The EU representatives announced that Europe is interested in a peaceful resolution of the Artsax conflict. Kocharian in turn stated that Armenia upholds European values and its foundation is based on these common values. The EU officials also met with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. Anna Lindh said she was assured by the Armenian authorities that the Artsax conflict can only be resolved through peaceful means. She added that the European Union is prepared to assist in the resolution of the conflict, as well as assist the region's economic and political sectors. The Swedish minister said a quick resolution of the conflict would allow the EU to engage in more cooperation in the Caucasus. "With the enlargement of the EU, the countries of the Caucasus will become neighbors of the EU, and it is important to further our relations with our direct neighbors," said Lindh. Commissioner Patten announced the EU will continue to provide monetary assistance to help Armenia develop. President Kocharian told the visiting EU delegation that Armenia considers itself a part of Europe. The President presented the officials with Armenia's position in the Artsax peace process, adding that he and his Azerbaijani counterpart are working toward a plan that would ensure permanent peace and stability in the region. Kocharian credits the increasing dialogue between Aliyev and him for bringing about more understanding between the two sides. According to Kocharian the resolution of the conflict will establish economic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is currently opposed by Aliyev. The EU delegation will also visit Georgia and Azerbaijan on this trip. 4) Central Executive Council of Cilician Catholicosate Holds Plenary Sessions ANTELIAS--The Central Executive Council of the Cilician Catholicosate held religious, political, and joint religious-political plenary sessions February 14-19 in Antelias, Lebanon. The main issues discussed during the religious meetings were theological-religious education, inter-church relations, "Tbrevank", Kayianian Sisters Congregation, preparation of religious textbooks, the blessing of Muron, publication and distribution of the Bible, and the student association of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The political meetings dealt with property and administrative issues, the Catholicosate's structures such as "Trchnots Pooyn," the National Home for the Elderly and Blind, the National Sanatorium, the "Khacher Kalousdian" pedagogical center, and political work related to the Armenian Cause. The Central Executive Council also held joint religious-political meetings. Cooperation between Echmiatzin and Antelias was discussed, along with the festivities planned for the 1700 anniversary of the adoption of Christianity by Armenia. The religious and political sessions were chaired by the Catholicos. 5) Russia's Putin To Visit Armenia YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Armenia during the second half of May 2001, to attend a summit of the CIS Collective Security Council. Putin is scheduled to pay an official visit to Yerevan in autumn. He first visited Yerevan when he headed the Russian government. In October 1999 he attended the ceremony to pay last respects to Armenia's statesmen who had died as a result of the terrorist act in the conference hall of the republic's parliament. The presidents of Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, and Poland are also expected to visit Yerevan in the course of this year, according to Armenia's press office.

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65 PERCENT OF UNEMPLOYED WOMEN YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: The labor and employment center alongside the Armenian ministry of social security released the latest data on the number of unemployed. According to it, the number of officially registered unemployed in Armenia at the beginning of February was 177,197. Eighty-six percent of them have been granted the status of unemployed, which means that they are entitled to scanty allowances not exceeding $6 a month. It should be noted that 65% of the unemployed are women. The department also said that the volume of unemployment has decreased by 0.2 percent as opposed to December 2000. The Armenian province of Shirak, badly hit by 1988 earthquake, "boasts" of the highest unemployment level (22% of the total population), followed by the province of Syunik (21.3%) and province of Lori (15.6%). The lowest unemployment level was reported in the province of Aragatsotn with a predominately rural population dealing with cattle-breeding. In 2001 708 unemployed have been provided with jobs, 44% of them in Yerevan. The biggest demand is still for teachers of secondary schools and workers.

ROMAN POPE HOLDS SPECIAL MASS DEDICATED TO 1700TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHRISTIANITY IN ARMENIA Today, Roman Pope John Paul the Second held a special mass dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of adoption of Christianity in Armenia. The mass was held at the St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. He noted that the history of the Armenian people is marked with blood and martyrdom. The spiritual leader of the Catholics talked about the “bloody violence” and “unheard of cruelty” that the Armenian people had been subjected to. “The memory of these events should not disappear,” stated the Pope. Yesterday, the Pope met with the leader of the Armenian Catholic Church. At the meeting, the Pope reconfirmed his intention to visit Armenia in the near future. < 19.02.2001 00.31 >

AZERBAIJAN IS WORRIED ABOUT FRENCH PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVES 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. The initiative of the French President Jacques Chirac, who invited Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to visit Paris in early March to hold talks, excited great apprehension in Baku, Bilik Dunyasi agency reports. Leader of Azerbaijan's National Independence Party, Etibar Mamedov thinks Heydar Aliyev can make certain concessions in order to keep his own power. At the same time Mamedov stressed that he had some information concerning this. According to him, at present he's making this "shady information" more precise, after which his party will take "appropriate measures". On Feb. 17 an informed source told Mediamax that meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and France will take place in Paris in early March. The source noted that the meeting is more likely to be held in the period between the visits of President Robert Kocharian to Kiev (March 1-2) and to Vienna (March 6-7). It was supposed earlier that the regular meeting of Armenian and Azeri Presidents would take place on Armenian-Azeri border. But, as the source noted, the participation of the French President Jacques Chirac in the talks "makes this process more effective". --0--

PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA AND RUSSIA DISCUSS PERSPECTIVES OF Artsax CONFLICT SETTLEMENT 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. Presidents of Armenia and Russia had a telephone talk on February 19, held on the initiative of the Armenian side. As ITAR TASS was informed in the press office of the President of RF, actual issues of bilateral relations were discussed during the conversation; the subject of the Artsax conflict settlement was also touched upon. --0--

CHAIRMAN OF THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKS FOR ACTIVATION OF RELATIONS WITH CHINA 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Khachatrian said today that activation of relations with China must become one of prior directions of the foreign policy of Armenia. Summing up the results of his visit to China, held on Feb. 12-18, Armen Khachatrian said there are wonderful perspectives for the development of Armenian-Chinese cooperation in various spheres - from agriculture to high tech. Armenian speaker informed that at the meeting with Chinese businessmen the latters displayed interest in establishing joint enterprises, both on the territory of Armenia and China. --0--

CHINA ISN'T INFORMED ENOUGH ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. Chairman of the Armenian permanent parliamentary commission for defense, national security and internal affairs, Vahan Hovanisian stated today that the lack of information concerning the Armenian Genocide and the absence of influential Armenian community in China hamper the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Chinese authorities. This information gap "should be filled in through other mechanisms, though it's not time yet to speak about them", Hovanisian said. --0--

CEM'S STATEMENT IS CAUSED BY INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE UPON TURKEY, ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN SAID 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. Chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission of Armenia for foreign affairs, Hovanes Hovannisian told Mediamax that the recent statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is stipulated by the increased pressure on Turkey on the part of the world community. Commenting in the interview to Mediamax on the proposal of the Turkish Foreign Minister to hold a trilateral meeting with Armenian, Azeri and Turkish officials to discuss ways of the Artsax conflict settlement, Hovanesian noted that Armenia must be prepared for such development of events. Stressing that Turkey takes open pro-Azeri position in the Artsax settlement, Armenian parliamentarian said it's untimely to speak about holding a "two against one" meeting. Hovanesian also said that Turkey can't have a role in arbitrating the settlement process. --0--

BUILDING OF THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT IS PICKETED 20.02.2001 YEREVAN, February 20. /Mediamax/. Several thousands of small traders are picketing the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, the parliamentary correspondent of Mediamax reports. The picketers demand amendments to the "Fixed Payments" Law and revocation of the obligatory use of controlling-cash machines at trade zones of less than 10 sq. meters. The parliament must discuss amendments to this law at today's special session of the National Assembly. The picketers have blocked the ways out of the parliament building to prevent the stoppage of the special session. Additional police staff controls the nearby streets. --0--