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Lincy Foundation Funds Construction Of Important Highways YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—Two sections of the Dilijan-Vanadzor road with a total length of 28 kilometers were opened for public use. These sections were repaired by the Vanadzor Argishty and Armash construction companies with funding provided by the Lincy Foundation. The repair cost 1.4 billion drams (about $2.5 million). Edward Bezoyan, the director of the program, told reporters that construction on another 15-kilometer-long section of the Dilijan-Vanadzor road will begin in September. He also said that the Ijevan construction company recently completed the road from the Ijevan-based Bentonit plant to the village of Kirants.
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International Marathon To Be Held In Armenia YEREVAN (Armenpress)—An International Marathon of extreme sports, entitled "Raid Karen Adventure," will be held in Armenia on January 8-17. The athletes will display race from Vanadzor to Karni. The chairman of France's Adventure Sports Association, professor of Sorbonne University Claude Abitole initiated the marathon. The path the runners will take will run through Armenian natural and architectural landmarks, particularly of sport and cultural importance. These places will be seen by all who watch the marathon around the world. The competition was named after Abitole's close friend from Vanadzor Karen Avanessian, who worked with him for many years and died recently in the Alps. The marathon was organized in memory of Karen Avanessian. The participants of the competitions must pay a corresponding membership fee to participate in the marathon. Claude Abitole will go to Armenia in January to discuss the issues connected with the organization of these events
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Turkish-French Relations Gradually Improving YEREVAN (Armenpress)—According to a Turkish daily Radical, there is a clear improvement in French-Turkish relations, that were spoiled after France officially recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide a year ago. The paper writes that preconditions for reviewing the relations, especially in the area of military cooperation, are being created. Last month, a senior official of the Turkish foreign ministry visited France and made a preliminary agreement, according to which several French companies will implement several programs involving Turkish naval forces. The Radical says that as a result of strained Franco-Turkish relations, several Turkish military programs suffered. The Turkish national security council decided last year to cancel several military deals with France, including orders for a military satellite and electronic equipment for F-16 fighters. The paper writes that when the Turkish Ambassador Syonmez Kioksal returned to Paris three months after he left, the relations between the two countries began improving. The French companies can expect deals totaling $5 billion, however, hopes to accomplish the same level of relations before Turkey's boycott will not be realized unless the Turkish security council erases its economic embargo against France
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Aragast Murder Trial Continues with Testimony YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—The Aragast cafe murder trial continued on January 8. Aghamal Harutiunian, President Kocharian's bodyguard, is accused of the unintentional homicide, for the murder of Georgian-Armenian Poghos Poghossian. The first witness to testify, Architect Stepan Nalbandian, who was with Poghossian at the cafe, stated that he could not identify the people who beat Poghossian to death because it was too chaotic at the cafe, he could not even identify the person who hit him (Nalbandian). According to Nalbandian, Aghamal Harutiunian was not the person who approached Poghossian and asked him to go to the restroom. Nalbandian also did not confirm that Harutiunian was the one who told Poghossian to "shut up" after Poghossian said "Hello Robik" to President Kocharian. Another witness, the Head of the Department of Diasporan Issues of the Ministry of Science and Education Yura Navoyan who was with Poghossian that night also said that he did not notice any derogatory remarks toward Kocharian from Poghossian, especially since the president is a symbol of the Artsakh liberation struggle for all the Armenians living in Javakhk (the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi region of Georgia). When Andranik Poghossian, the victim's legal successor and brother, asked Navoyan why he did not tell him, or the ARF Supreme Body about the murder (Poghossian was an ARF member), Navoyan said he was in a state of shock after seeing what happened and could not calm himself enough to tell him or the ARF. He went to the Prosecutor's Office on September 28, 2001, four days after the murder
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Turkish General Makes Unfounded Accusations BAKU (Armenpress)—The frenzy has not ceased, two days after Azeri newspapers published a sensational announcement by the chief of staff of Turkey's armed forces, Hussein Kevrikoghli, that Armenia possesses weapons of mass destruction. Every newspaper in Baku published his announcement, and underlining the words of the Turkish general, that Armenia should be subject to the same sanctions imposed on Iraq. According to an unknown source in Azerbaijan's defense ministry, the weapons of mass destruction the general was referring to are biological and chemical weapons kept by the Armenian army
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Turkey Launches New Attack On Egoyan's Film YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Turkey launched a new propaganda campaign on the Internet against the film "Ararat," written and directed by a Armenian-Canadian movie director Atom Egoyan. A special web site was established, www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr, which presents the Turkish vision of the Armenian Genocide. The antagonistic message in the Turkish site raises the question: what is the company trying to accomplish by producing this film, (a film expected to increase tension between the neighboring countries)? Set against the production of an epic film about the Genocide of 1915, "Ararat" is a contemporary story that deals with the relationship between history in the making and the impact of historical events on people's lives today. "Ararat" features Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian and other prominent stars and actors. Miramax Films, an affiliate of the Walt Disney Co., has acquired the US distribution rights to Ararat
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French Armenian Awarded Order Of Knight PARIS (Armenpress)—French-Armenian Michel Bazumian was awarded the French Order of Knight, one of the most prestigious French awards, for his outstanding achievements and contribution to the development of France's economy. The decree was signed by president Jacques Chirac. Michel Bazumian is well known in Armenia. More than ten years ago, when Armenia regained its independence from the USSR, Bazumian went to Yerevan to help the new country develop a free market economy. Bazumian, accompanied by other French economists, visits Yerevan once a year to lecture at an Economic school, affiliated with Armenian Trade and Industry Ministry. One of Bazumian's friends, Daniel Yeremian donated a great amount of money to reporters in Gyumri and to residents of a village in Nagorno Artsax. Bazumian is very actively involved in any project supporting Nagorno Artsax, conducted in France and has become an advocate for Artsax rights in that country.
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«ARMENIA-DIASPORA» SECOND FORUM TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN IN MAY 08.01.2002 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The «Armenia-Diaspora» second forum will take place in Yerevan in May. The event will be dated for the celebrations of the anniversary of the declaration of the first Armenian Republic. At the present time the members of the committee on the forum holding continue the consultations with the Armenian communities of different countries. Also the work with the leaders of traditional political parties, religious and charitable organizations is carried out. A number of preparatory meetings will take place in Yerevan till the forum. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"
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heto el asum es te Demq shown ches sirum
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hetaqrqirn iyn e vor mez hamar amenaharazat bari himqum @enkats e Pahlavin,
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Shnorhakal em Arpa jan dzer masnagitutyun@ inch e ???
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Armenian Luma At Ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?V...item=1318013697 http://server3001.freeyellow.com/oly12/cointsarmenia.jpg Buy It Now for $5.00 + Buyer to pay shipping and handling 2,00 $ ok so $7 for -19Dram-70Luma $1 = 562.00 Armenian Drams Good one
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Armenia Martyred Parlamentarians 2000, MNH http://abacus.sj.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/77b06cc5ea74f0f44c52e02bac/i-1.JPG Set of 2v and s/sh issued in memory of the members of Parliament of Armenia, who were shot by terrorists right in the Parliament Hall!. Speaker of the Parlament and Prime Minister - on stamps, all victims - on the s/sheet. All stamps with Speaker's portrait and most of the s/sheets are bought out by his family! Perfect MNH condition. Two stamps of the set are also available in m/sheets of 10 each. However, if you want those m/sheets, 10 s/sheets go with them. Buyer pays $2.50 for registered airmail shipping/handling, $1.50 - for regular mail. Money order, personal check, BidPay are accepted. Cash is not recommended, but if that's your choice, then cut 50c off sh/h. Armenia Martyred Parlamentarians 2000, MNH - @ Ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?V...item=1317761029
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Whoot that will bee -=ASBAREZ.COM=-
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Harazat - Haraberakan, kam aveli jisht HAR masniki imast@. Yete HArazati Har@ da motik/sert e nshanakum apa Azat@ kam Zat@ inch e? MOvses
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Wheel Power: Increase in women drivers changes streetlife an
MosJan replied to MosJan's topic in Gender Issues
artur yete knoj@t inqnasharji rek@ ches karor vstahel, yerexanerit dastirakutyun@ incpes es vstahelu? te kin@ ->> is like a monkey with a bomb <<- et depqum bavakanin mtorumnneri kariq unes... -Tramard@ @ntaniqi drsi Patn e Kin@ nersi Pat@ - amen andz ir @entaniqum uni ir voroshaki funktsyaner, sakayn chi nshanakum vor yete kin e uremn meqena chi karror varel yev kam iravunq chuni, kam el @entaniqi tasib@ yev namus@ kapakanvi yete kin@ meqenayi vari. yes kaseyi kam vaxenum es vor qezanits lav en meqena qshelu kam qshum kam el vaxenum es meqenan tas qshi eta HAykakan Traditsyan yev addat @ shat lav enq haskanum, sakayn yete lav hishes mer hin traditsyaner@ yev orenqner@ himnnvats jamanak avtomeqena der chkar, esi esora , varn el mi urish dzevov klini, jamanakner@ poxvel en, yerkir@ poxvel e, mardik el poxvum en, kyanqn el inqnin poxvum e, @entaniq@ ir tasibn u pativ@ petqe unena, maqrutyun@ yev yerexaneri dastyarakchutyun@, sakayn kin@ meqena qashelov vochinch el chi poxvum... -
Letter -- Larry Glenn Council didn't act act with courtesy If the Armenians want a memorial to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, let them buy some land and build it. Jews built a memorial in West Los Angeles to commemorate the Holocaust and Armenians have every right to do the same here in Glendale. It should not be done with any taxpayer dollars and not on public property. Those who opposed the lowering of the American flag to recognize the Armenian Genocide have every right to exercise their freedom of speech and it is reprehensible for the News-Press and a few of the City Council sycophants to call them racists. After watching this controversy for months, and the way that three members of the City Council have treated the recall organizers, I have come to the conclusion that these members of the City Council have not treated many people who come before them with the respect and courtesy expected of public officials, and lack the temperament for public office. For all of those critical of the recall organizers and their failed effort, one must remember that they needed to collect roughly 13,000 signatures, I would guess that this is approximately twice the number of votes any current member of the council received in the past election. I think there is a very clear message that support for the council is not nearly as overwhelming as the council supporters claim, and they have sought to diminish the recall organizers by name calling and personal attacks. The News-Press has been a central participant in this effort and totally lacking in objective reporting. LARRY GLENN Glendale For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights
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GLENDALE EDITORIAL Council should accept monument offer A city is a living, breathing thing. Its character is that of its citizenry. Its values and ideals are those belonging to the people living in it. Given Glendale's large Armenian population, it seems appropriate that a monument commemorating the Armenian Genocide be erected on city property. That is why we support the proposed monument under consideration for Parcher Plaza behind City Hall. A group called the Armenian Genocide Monument Council of Glendale has offered to build and maintain the memorial, the creation of which was suggested in August by the city-established Citizens' Memorial Advisory Committee. The City Council is scheduled to discuss the offer at tonight's council meeting. The monument would honor the estimated 1.5 million Armenians who perished in the genocide, committed early in the 20th century by forces of the Ottoman-Turkish Empire. It also would pay homage to Americans whose actions helped save thousands of Armenians from slaughter. Although we can only hope that this proposal won't generate the kind of controversy that surrounded the city's decision to lower the American flag in recognition of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, we have to be realistic and assume that it will. There are many in our community who would feel that this would be another example of the city holding up one segment of the population above another. There are also others who, unfortunately, just don't like Armenians and might try to use the proposal as another way to vent their feelings. But we believe the council would show true leadership by acknowledging that the genocide is a subject of great importance to an enormous segment of Glendalians. It also would show that it has not been bowed by the terrible pressure recently exerted on Mayor Gus Gomez, who was targeted for recall for signing the proclamation ordering the flag lowering. Other U.S. cities have erected memorials of significance to community members. The city of Skokie, Ill., for example, raised a memorial commemorating the Holocaust. And just a few miles from Glendale, a monument stands in a Montebello public park recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The Glendale City Council has shown great courage over the years on the subject of the genocide -- more fortitude, even, than the federal government, which avoids the subject in order to not offend NATO ally Turkey. We urge the council to continue showing resolve on this important matter by accepting the proposal to install an Armenian Genocide monument in Parcher Plaza. For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights
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Sticking with the traditional Christmas An Armenian church in Costa Mesa hosts about 700 people Sunday to commemorate Jesus' birth on the day that everyone once marked. By Bryce Alderton COSTA MESA -- They came from near and far to celebrate the Armenian Christmas here Sunday. Church officials at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Costa Mesa estimated about 700 worshipers packed into the church to celebrate the Epiphany, meaning "revelation of God," the central theme of the Christmas season in the Armenian Church. Major events celebrated are the Nativity of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and the Blessing of the Waters celebrating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, thereby beginning Christ's missionary work in the world to serve people, said Vahran Biricik, the church's Parish Council chairman. St. Mary's worship is Gregorian, with the traditional role of the priest as intercessor, the deacon offering the litany and the choir and congregation chanting responsively. Armenians have celebrated Christmas on Jan. 6 for more than 1,700 years. All Christian churches celebrated Christ's birth on Jan. 6 until the fourth century, when the Roman Catholic Church changed the date from Jan. 6 to Dec. 25 to override a pagan feast dedicated to the birth of the Sun, which was celebrated on Dec. 25, according to Roman Catholic sources. Armenia was not affected by the change because it was not a satellite of the Roman Catholic Church and because there were no pagan practices in Armenia. Sunday provided a chance to worship in the morning and then head off to friends' or families' houses to eat, exchange gifts or simply to have a good time. Churchgoers greeted each other with handshakes, hugs and wishes of "Merry Christmas" as they exited after the two-hour service. Huntington Beach resident Angea Barela smiled as she held hands with neighbor Anna Yogurtian as the two exited the church. It was Barela's first time attending a service at the church and she couldn't be happier. "The music, the people were almost the same as in a Catholic church," Barela said. "I feel something deep when I hear the music, I enjoyed it very much." With words of compassion, caring and love, Father Moushegh Tashjian reminded the congregation of the significance of the day, the freedoms they enjoy in the United States and of America's resolve in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "The terrorists did not achieve their goal because they found something unexpected -- resolve, determination, heroism at its bravest and charity at its most generous kind," Tashjian said. "Today is a story of compassion, caring and of intense love showing you are loved." The Eyvazian family drives from Carlsbad as often as they can to attend Sunday services at St. Mary's and were there again Sunday. "This is a great day, we're going to party now," said Greg Eyvazian, just as they family prepared to return to Carlsbad to celebrate with seven other families. * Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949) 574-4298 or by e-mail at bryce.alderton@latimes.com . For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights
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Armenia's Youth: A Serious Force To Be Reckoned With YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Chairman of a prime minister-affiliated council for youth issues Manvel Badalian praised the government for "beginning to understand the role of the youth in the public life." While speaking to reporters, Badalian said the cooperation between the youth and non-governmental organizations has become more active in the last 2-3 years. The council, according to Badalian, outlined several priority areas and has already begun implementing programs. Thus, members of youth organizations have been included in government working groups. Among other successful projects Badalian mentioned establishment of the Pan-Armenian Youth Fund, which provides assistance to young men and women in education, medical treatment and exchange programs. The Fund plans to open more chapters in Armenia's provincial communities this year. The only chapter outside of Yerevan thus far is in the province of Ararat. Vazgen Khachikian, the youngest member of the Armenian parliament told reporters that a bill on Youth Issues was drafted by the parliament, and is expected to be approved this spring. He also said that the government earmarked more than $90,000 for the establishment of a Pan-Armenian Youth Center, and $2 million will be donated by the Lincy Foundation.
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System of a Down Nominated for Grammy System of a Down's first single "Chop Suey!" off their second release Toxicity has been nominated for Best Metal Performance at this year's Grammy Awards. The 44th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 27th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show will air live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. System's Toxicity has also been ranked #3 on the New York Times Top Ten list of 2001, and is Vibe magazine's #1 Pick of the Year.
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Aragast Cafe Murder Trial Begins at Local Court YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan and Armenpress)—The trial for the murder of a Georgian citizen of Armenian origin Poghos Poghossian at the "Aragast" cafe began at the Court of the first instance of the Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan. According to the indictment, Poghossian was intoxicated when he insulted President Robert Kocharian at the cafe on September 25, 2001. The president's bodyguards Gurgen Arsenian and Aghamal Harutiunian attacked him and Poghossian fell flat on his back, and was seriously injured and later died. The only defendant in the case, Aghamal Harutiunian did not plead guilty. Under a court order to further study the evidence, he will testify after all the other witnesses are interrogated. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter. The first witness that was interrogated was licensed architect Stepan Nalbandian who was with Poghossian at the cafe the night of the murder. Nalbandian was Poghossian's friend and business partner for six months. The two built a school in Javakhk (Samtskhe-Javakhk region of Georgia). According to Nalbandian, when Poghossian who was already drunk saw Charles Aznavour, Robert Kocharian and his bodyguards passing by he called out "Hello Robik." A bodyguard yelled back and said "Shut up, bastard." In 10-15 minutes, a young man came up to their table and politely asked Poghossian to follow him to the restroom. The witness claimed to have seen Poghossian being pushed into the restroom. And when he entered, the bodyguard punched him. Several other people, together with Nalbandian, tried to interfere to help Poghossian. When the crowd disbursed, Nalbandian rushed to Poghossian lying on his back on the floor. When the doctor arrived at the scene of the crime, he was critically injured and could do nothing to help, and certified his death. The evening grew more chaotic when a foreigner shouted, "We are listening to jazz and here they are killing a man." The witness stated that they were drunk but could control themselves. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, of which Poghos Poghossian was a member of, claimed that prosecutors failed to identify all perpetrators of the crime. "The fact that only one person is going to stand trial proves the investigation is flawed," ARF spokesman Gegham Manukiansaid. "Not all circumstances have been properly examined, and not all individuals involved in the incident have been identified." Prosecutors concluded that Poghossian, died accidentally in a fight with one of Kocharian's bodyguards, Harutunian. However, the victim's relatives and a few human rights organizations, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch, say that he was beaten to death by several presidential guards. The court session will continue tomorrow. The representative of the victim's legal successor Ruben Sahakian requested the hearing be postponed to January 8, giving Andranik Poghossian, the victim's lawyer enough time to prepare questions for the witnesses.
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Armenian Radio Hour Interviews John Ordway YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey (ARHNJ) hosted an interview on Sunday, January 6 with the US Ambassador to Armenia, John Ordway. Ordway addressed several topics during the interview, including the strengths of the US-Armenia relationship, the prospects of developing a military relationship between the US and Armenia, the status of peace talks, the blockade of Armenia and Artsax, the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC), economic issues facing Armenia, and coalitions against terrorism. The full text of the interview, as cited by Groong, is as follows: John Ordway was sworn in as Ambassador to Armenia on November 16, 2001. He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Prior to becoming Ambassador to Armenia, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow since 1999, and as political officer in Moscow from 1996 to 1999. Ambassador Ordway was assigned to the US Mission to NATO from 1993 to 1996 and has twice worked on detail to the National Security Council. He worked at the Department of State as Deputy Director of the Office of Soviet Affairs and Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs. Originally from California, he is a graduate of Stanford University and received his JD from the University of California, Hastings School of Law. ARHNJ: The events since September 11 have shifted the priorities of many countries, and we do know that the US And Russia are cooperating. You have served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Moscow, and you are aware of the Russian/Armenian cooperation. As the new Ambassador to Armenia, how would you assess this strength of the relationship between the US And Armenia today? John Ordway: I think you very aptly started with the mention of the events of September 11, and this has shown for all Americans how important it is in this day and age that we be able to count on friends and allies in key places around the world. One of those regions that has been important to us has been the Caucasus. Here, Armenia has played a very useful and helpful role in terms of allowing us overflight for military flights as well as providing intelligence and other support which we have been quite appreciative of. Also, I was particularly struck when, on December 11, the Armenian government organized a commemoration of the events of September 11 in Aznavour Square. It was an unforgettable sight, looking out as the day was growing darker and the moment of exactly three months from the events of September 11 crept up and seeing people lighting candles. It was a good feeling of solidarity that would have made all Americans very happy. More broadly, I think we have an excellent relationship with Armenia these days. We are one of the major donors to Armenia. We have a very good and effective assistance program there that we design and implement in cooperation with the government of Armenia. So in general, I would characterize the relationship as very good and probably with no place to go but to get better. ARHNJ: During his recent visit to Armenia, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said "we believe we will be able to have a military-to-military relationship with Armenia." With the coalition against terrorism in mind, and also the fact that the US And Armenia are partners in the NATO partnership, what are the prospects of developing military relationships between the US and Armenia? And if you can, comment on how military assistance to Armenia be increased. J.O.: Well, we have for a number of years not provided any military assistance to Armenia as a matter of policy. This is related to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act which prohibited assistance of any kind to the government of Azerbaijan. One of our key concerns in the region is to assure that there is not a resurgence of the conflict that has erupted over Nagorno-Artsax. We tried very, very carefully to be extraordinarily balanced in our approach to the two countries in the military area to make sure that we did not give signals of military support to one side or the other. What has now changed is that the provisions of Section 907 are waiveable under recent legislation adopted by Congress. What this has done in the case of Armenia is that it has opened the way to establish a much better, firmer military-to-military relationship including military assistance. This was one of the things that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld did have very general opening discussions with both Minister Sarkisian and President Kocharian when the Secretary was in Armenia. The Congress has allocated four million dollars in military assistance and, I believe, three hundred thousand dollars for military training. We are just in the beginning stages of looking at how exactly he might use those funds, a process of trying to figure out what it is that they are capable of providing, what it is in our interest to provide, and what the Armenian military and the Armenian government want. These discussions will probably be going on for the next several months before we can come up with precise figures or a better idea of exactly how we are going to spend this money. Since this is the first year we have had any appropriation for military assistance for Armenia, I think it is a little premature to talk about increasing it. We are going to have to see how well and effectively we can spend this amount first. ARHNJ: What is the status of the blockade of Armenia and Nagorno-Artsax by Turkey and Azerbaijan, and what is the status of the peace talks? J.O.: The situation I think pretty much remains as it has been for quite some time in terms of the closed borders. This is one of the major impediments to economic development in the region and it is something we would very much like to see change. The way in which we have been working recently has been to promote a peaceful, durable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the conflict. Together with our partners in the Minsk Group, France and Russia, we have been very actively engaged with the two presidents and with the two countries. At the moment, the CO-chairs have met recently in the United States and have discussed how to approach this next stage of the process. This consideration is going on, and we will be working with both parties to see what we can do to try to move this conflict towards a resolution, which at the end of the day, can only be a benefit to Armenia and would almost undoubtedly lead to open borders and greater economic opportunities as well as providing a much more predictable and secure environment in the region and one which could lead to greater prosperity and stability for all the countries. ARHNJ: I am sure you are aware of the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Committee (TARC). What is your assessment of TARC? J.O.: I think that trying to improve the relationship between Armenia and Turkey is a very worthwhile goal and is one clearly that the government of Armenia has in mind as well. There are a whole variety of ways in which we in the United States can be of assistance in trying to make this happen. TARC was an effort to try to use Track 2 diplomacy involving prominent non-officials to try and see what could be done to stimulate this process. I think what happened after the last meeting of TARC is pretty well known, but it does not mean that the process of trying to improve the relationship between the two countries is coming to an end. On the contrary, we are certainly going to be looking for ways in which we can try to do whatever we can to help the two countries improve the relationship. ARHNJ: Economic issues are of great concern to Armenia. What is the United States doing to improve the economic situation in Armenia, help create jobs, provide economic security, and stop the exodus of Armenians from Armenia? J.O.: There are a number of things that we are very much trying to do, and have been doing over the last several years. The United States has been a major donor to Armenia every since its independence. In the early days, we concentrated very much on providing humanitarian assistance, getting through the very difficult times when people had very basic human needs for food, heat, and shelter. Over the last several years, the focus of our program has shifted to improving the macro-economic climate of Armenia, so we have been working very closely and carefully with the government and other donors and international financial institutions in order to try to design and implement forms that will allow and encourage economic development. Clearly, it is the development of a dynamic and prosperous private sector that is going to provide jobs and the prosperity that Armenia needs to keep the population that it has and perhaps even attract some of the recent emigrants over the last decade back to Armenia. We have a variety of programs which range from providing assistance to the government and to the Parliament to designing reform legislation. We have been very active in the energy sector trying to privatize the electrical distribution system. We have a very successful, innovative program that the US Department of Agriculture is implementing which is designed to work with the Armenian agricultural and food-processing sector to improve quality and to improve their marketing techniques so that they can grow and produce high-quality agricultural products and market them. We have a number of other projects aimed at trying to get closer to the grassroots and stimulate economic development. ARHNJ: You were sworn in as US Ambassador to Armenia on November 16, 2001. What have been your experiences with Armenia and the Armenian people over this short period of time? J.O.: It has probably only been six or seven weeks, but I have done a number of things. I have begun making official calls, I have met with the President and Foreign Minister, I was present when Secretary Rumsfeld met with the Defense Minister, the President, and the Prime Minister. Those are normal ambassadorial things that you do when you get going, and over the next couple months, I will accelerate that process of becoming acquainted with official Armenia. In addition, I have done a bit of tourism and gotten around Yerevan and a few places outside of Yerevan to get a feel for what life is like and what the country looks like. I have also had a couple of very good opportunities to see some of the kinds of things that the American government are doing there. I have opened a couple of well projects where we have gone in and helped small villages reopen wells to provide water for agricultural and drinking purposes. I paid a visit to Gyumri and looked at the kinds of things we are doing up there, in terms of earthquake rehabilitation. I visited a school where a US-financed civics curriculum is in operation and also visited some of the agricultural projects mentioned earlier. I also have tried to get better acquainted with the work that American non-governmental organizations are doing in Armenia, and there are a lot of them. I have begun to go out and meet with them, both the Americans and Armenians, to get a sense from them what they accomplish and what their needs are. So basically, everything from government officials to the American community to private ordinary citizens—I have tried to mix it up a little bit in the first few weeks I have been there. ARHNJ: This weekend, Armenians throughout the world will be celebrating Armenian Christmas, and I am sure your words will be a source of hope and optimism for Armenians. What would you add in closing? J.O.: I would certainly wish all Armenian-Americans a very joyful Christmas season and a very happy and prosperous 2002. One of the great advantages of being the US Ambassador to Armenia is the opportunity to get to know the Armenian-American community as well. That is what I am doing over the next week or two. Armenian-Americans are very committed to doing their best to help Armenia develop as a prosperous free market and independent country.
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Nelie JAn CHvaxenas Yes qez liovin haskanum em Ham el Yes qez - Welcome to Hye Forum Chem asel der Welcome to HyeForum Nelie jan MOvses
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??? Do we need a [ Computers And Internet ] Forum ???
MosJan replied to MosJan's topic in Science and Technology
HArout jan du el inch dandar es metsanum MI qich Aragatsra ham el Mek mek Sigarety kurarkenq Inch Asir Azat ??
