Pan- Armenian Games

New German, Korean
envoys arrive in
Armenia
p. 2
The
Interview with Indian
Ambassador
Viasphere ready to
develop solar systems
p. 8
Housing prices grow
23% in a year
p. 9
p. 9
Noah’s Ark
Jirair Hovnanian and
Rudolf KHachatrian
pass away
p. 2, 11
#33 (688)
14 August
2007
Weekly Newspaper
HIGHLIGHTS
Published Since 1993
Price: 1000 drams
HIGHLIGHT
Keep in touch with your beloved ones and benefit from SMS roaming in more than 100 countries.
ANM to nominate
Levon
Ter-Petrosian in
2008 presidential
elections
By Sona Avagian
PanArmenian
Games
The Fourth Pan-Armenian games
are taking place this week in
Armenia with participants from
over 50 cities worldwide
Decision may be taken in September
By David Petrosian
One of the subjects most frequently touched upon by the
Armenian press today is that the
former president Levon TerPetrosian may involve in the
upcoming presidential race.
The reaction to the likelihood
of this scenario is various. Voicing
the viewpoint of various wings of
the “party of power”, pro-government publications claim categorically that L. Ter-Petrosian will
never risk nominating his candidacy for a lot of reasons, including
the reason that Armenian residents
still remember and will not forgive
him that they spent the first half of
the 1990s half-starving, without
warmth and light. The fact that L.
Ter-Petrosian’s electoral rating is
not high is often mentioned as well.
However, something else can
also be discerned in all these publications - the obvious nervousness
in the “party of power,” as it is not
fully prepared for such developments. This nervousness has
reached such an extent that the progovernment newspaper “The Voice
of Armenia” even called the results
of the 1991 presidential elections
falsified.
This is the first case in my
memory when the results of the
1991 presidential elections have
been questioned. (To recap, at that
time Levon Ter-Petrosian received
83% of votes, Paruyr Hayrikian 8%, while the candidate of the
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Party Sos
Sargsian received 4%. The other
candidates got an insignificant
number of votes.) Even Paruyr
Hayrikian who has always criticized severely these elections (particularly, because of an incident in
the village of Paravakar) has never
called their results into question.
The traditional Armenian party
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun, which was
in radical opposition to L. TerPetrosian, also recognized the
legitimacy of the 1991 presidential
elections.
Contrary to publications of the
pro-government press, those in
support of nominating the candidacy of L. Ter-Petrosian beleive he
will no doubt run in the presidential
elections. They are also convinced
that if the former president nominates, he will undoubtedly not only
defeat any representative of the
“party of power” at the upcoming
elections but, more important, he
will also be able to stand up for the
votes he received. The fact is that
in case of total falsifications, the
actions of protest in support of L.
Ter-Petrosian may prove far more
efficient than those in favor of
other candidates.
As regards the above mentioned points of view, we must say
that in our opinion, they do not
reflect the real state of affairs.
A few words about the low
probability of L. Ter-Petrosian’s
nomination.
We think that the nomination of
his candidature is quite real. The
political history of the world, from
Argentina to Great Britain, knows
a lot of examples when leaders of
various states quitted big politics
and later returned triumphantly.
And we do not see any convincing
arguments that Armenia may be an
The
Armenian
National
Movement Party will put forward
the candidature of Levon TerPetrosian, the RA first President,
in the 2008 presidential elections.
This statement was made by Ararat
Zurabian, the Chairman of the
Administration of the Armenian
National Movement, at the press
conference held on August 17. At
the same time he mentioned that
the authorities are trying to make
use of every posiible lever in order
to hinder “the process of unification that can be stimulated around
Levon Ter-Petrosian.”
According to Ararat Zurabian,
the first RA President “is inclined
to take part in political processes,”
and the society, according to him,
will witness this fact “during the
nomination, when the process of
filling in and handing corresponding documents will start.” Under
this circumstance, in the opinion of
the Chairman of the Armenian
continued on page 4
Teghut Project: Arguments
For and Against
By Inga Zarafian
More than 1,500 emails have
been sent via the network of Action
Alert against the project of developing the Teghut copper and
molybdenum deposit in the northern Armenia. The action allows all
those who intend to become a
defender of Teghut to put their
name in an email and send it to the
Armenian president and other
responsible officials.
Brief Chronology. To recap,
the Teghut project was presented
by Vallex Group transnational
company in the person of the
Armenian Copper Program (ACP)
in March 2006.
The project produced a negative reaction of the majority of
environmental NGOs. Among the
most serious possible consequences of developing the deposit
and constructing a new tailing pit,
the following were indicated:
·
Operation of nonrenewable resources of the country in the
interests of a private company
rather than in state interests.
Š Deforestation of 600 hectares
of forests in a country, less than
10% of whose territory is covered with forests
Š Degradation of soil and pollution with heavy metals
continued on page 10
continued on page 4
20 August #688 Š 2007
2
BRIEF NEWS
he Armenian ambassador to the
US Tatul Margarian on August
14 received US First Deputy
Secretary of Defence Gordon
England. Issues related to relations
between Armenia and the US and the
bilateral cooperation in the military
sphere were discussed at the meeting.
According to a press release submitted
to NT by the RA MFA Press and
Information Department, the sides
also addressed some problems of
regional security. The Armenian
ambassador expressed the RA government’s deep gratitude to G. England
for organizing the treatment of
Leutenant Georgi Nalbandian, who
was wounded during his humanitarian
mission in Iraq, in the Walter Reed
Army Medical Center (Washington)
and handed a letter of thanks of the RA
Ministry of Defence to G. England.
G. England in his turn conveyed gratitude of the US government to the
ambassador for Armenia’s continuous
participation in the international coalition in Iraq.
T
ohammad Aliabadi, the Vice
President of the Islamic
Republic of Iran and the
Chairman of the Physical Education
Organization, is expected to arrive in
Yerevan on August 18. Meetings with
Robert Kocharian, the RA President,
Hovik Abrahamian, the Minister of
Territorial Administration, Armen
Grigorian, the Minister of Sport and
Youth Affairs, and Gagik Tsarukian,
the Chairman of the National Olympic
Committe of Armenia, are envisaged
during the visit of the Vice President
of Iran. The Iranian Vice President
will also take part in the opening ceremony of the fourth All Armenian
Games, which will take place in the
Hanrapetakan sports ground on
August 18. According RA Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs,
Mahammad
Aliabadi’s meeting with Vardan
Oskanian will take place on August
18.
M
ne of the candidates registered
for taking part in the by-elections of the National Assembly
to be held by the majoritarian electoral
system in Electoral Constituency 15 of
Aragatsotn region on August 26, withdrew in the defined term, that is, by
August 16. According to the information provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by Hovhannes Asatrian, the
Chairman of the Constituency
Electoral Commission 15, the only
candidate, who refused to take part in
the further electoral campaign, is nonpartisan Mekhak Mkhitarian, an MP
of the National Assembly of the previous convocation. Thus, Khachik
Manukian, a member of the
Republican Party of Armenia and a
former MP, Raffi Hovannisian, an MP
of the National Assembly of the current convocation elected by the proportional electoral system, the
Founder and President of the
“Zharangutiun” (Heritage) party and
Head of the homonimic faction,
Gurgen Shahinian, a member of the
ARF Dashnaktsutiun party and the
Chairman of the “Stone Mine of
Ashtarak” OJSC, as well as non-partyisan Emin Karapetian, Vahagn
Patrosian,
and
Mnatsakan
Mnatsakanian, the Mayor of Talin, are
pretending on the only vacant mandate
of an MP of the National Assembly.
Kh. Manukian and M. Mnatsakanian
were nominated in the May 12 parliamentarian elections as well, and Kh.
Manukian, who was elected NA MP as
a result of these elections, later refused
to receive the MP mandate.
O
Turkey’s possible membership
in EU positive: Giragosian
By Sona Mashurian
The recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by U.S.
Congress will not threaten the
interests of the United States. This
conviction was expressed by
Richard Giragosian, an AmericanArmenian analyst, during the
August 14 discussion on the subject “The recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, its consequences, influence on ArmenianTurkish relations and American
foreign policy.” In general, according to Richard Giragosian, the
issue of the Armenian Genocide in
itself is not a decisive one in
Turkish-American relations, as
both of the countries are interested
in another issue: the stability of
Iraq, each from its own point of
Richard Giragosian
view.
Richard Giragosian mentioned
that the issue of the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide is not the
only important one in the context
of Armenian-Turkish relations: the
issue of opening borders with
Turkey is more important for
Armenia. According to him, the
economic blockade implemented
by Azerbaijan and Turkey is dangerous for Armenia. And as for the
opening of borders with Turkey, R.
Giragosian believes that it can
prove dangerous only for several
powerful personalities of Armenia,
who enjoy import monopoly for
this or that kind of goods.
Richard Giragosian considers
the possible membership of Turkey
in the European Union positive for
Armenia, as in this case the borders
of the European Union will reach
Armenia. And as for the membership of Turkey in the European
Union, according to R. Giragosian,
it can prove somewhat dangerous
for EU member countries, from the
point of view of the Islamic terrorism.
Armenian leaders meet the new
Ambassador of Germany
Andrea Joana-Maria Wiktorin,
the newly-appointed Ambassador
of the Federal Republic of
Germany to Armenia, handed the
duplicate of her credentials to
Vardan Oskanian, the RA Minister
of Foreign Affairs, on August 13.
According to the official information, the sides touched upon the
current high level of ArmenianGerman bilateral relations, as well
as discussed the future plans of the
cooperation between Armenia and
Germany during the conversation,
which followed the ceremony.
Referring to the recent developments of the European integration
of Armenia, Vardan Oskanian
briefly presented the work done by
Armenia within the framework of
the Action Plan under the European
Neighbourhood Policy, which will
be introduced to the European
Commission in September during
the first conference of the member
countries of the Action Plan under
the European Neighbourhood
Policy to be held in Brussels.
At the request of the
Ambassador,
Oskanian
also
touched upon the negotiation
process of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. The Ambassador mentioned that irrespective of the fact
that Germany is not a country copresiding over the Minsk Group
and is not actively involved in the
process of the peacefull settlement,
it once again re-affirms its interest
in a quick settlement of this problem and establishment of stability
in the region.
On August 16. Andrea JoanaMaria Wiktorin handed her creden-
tials
to
President
Robert
Kocharian. During the conversation, which followed the ceremony,
the two sides highly appreciated
the current level of ArmenianGerman relations, the evidence of
which are the active political dialogue, intensive mutual visits and
the commercial-economical relations developing dynamically.
The Ambassador mentioned
with satisfaction that Germany is a
leading donor country for Armenia
in the sphere of development cooperation. Stressing the coordinated
character of the bilateral mutual
cooperation, Robert Kocharian said
that the German assistance programs are very productive in terms
of quality, practical and directed at
the infrastructural reforms of the
most viable spheres.
The sides stressed the necessity
to envolve new directions in their
bilateral relations, in this respect
attaching importance to the work of
the intergovernmental commission
14 years old
Nina Yeghishian
needs your help, her two kidneys have
stoped functioning. The doctors of the
"Arabkir" Children's and Juveniles' Health
Institute managed to make the condition of
the child stable, however only an operation,
the transplantation of a donor kidney, can
save the child but the family has no means
for this operation.
We address this to all kind-hearted people.
HELP US SAVE THIS CHILD.
Bank requisites In Armenian drams
city Abovian, "VTB-Armenia Bank" branch of Abovian, branch
16024, account 160242007443
20 August #688 Š 2007
POLITICS
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
to be held in September.
During the meeting they also
touched upon the European integration process of Armenia, as well
as the assistance possibilities of the
German side within the framework
of the implementation of the
Action Plan under the European
Neighbourhood Policy.
Reference: Andrea Joana-Maria
Wiktorina was born in 1957. She
has been a collaborator of the
Foreign Ministry of the Federal
Republic of Germany since 1991.
She worked at the German
Embassy in Latvia between 1992 to
1995 and in the German Embassy
in the Netherlands between 1997 to
2000. She was the Deputy
Ambassador of the Embassy of the
Federal Republic of Germany to
Belarus from 2000 to 2003 and the
deputy head of the Department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Federal Republic of Germany
since 2003.
Relations with
Korea play great
role in Asian policy
of Armenia
Lee Kyu-Hyung, the newlyappointed Ambassador of the
Republic of Korea to Armenia
(residence in Moscow), submitted
his
credentials
to
Robert
Kocharian, the RA President, on
August 17. The RA President congratulated the diplomat on the
occasion of assuming the post of
the Ambassador to the Republic of
Armenia and mentioned that the
relations with Korea play a great
role in the Asian policy of
Armenia. Robert Kocharian
stressed with satisfaction the positive dynamism of the cooperation
development between the two
countries, the increase in mutual
interest, and the productive cooperation among international organizations. The RA President qualified the achievements of Korea in
different spheres of economy as
impressive and said that they can
serve a lesson for our country,
which is overcoming the difficulties of the transitional period.
According to the information
provided to Noyan Tapan by the
RA President’s Press Office,
Ambassador Hyung mentioned
that he is enraptured with the centuries-old history and culture of
Armenia. In his words, Korea is
interested in a more active involvement of Armenia in its numerous
educational programs directed at
the exchange of experience and the
development of the country.
American-Armenian
benefactor Jirair
Hovnanian dies
American-Armenian businessman
and
benefactor
Jirair
Hovnanian died at the age of 80 in
his house Mountain Laurel, N.J. on
August 14.
According to the information
provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, Robert
Kocharian, the RA President, sent a
letter of condolence to the
Hovnanians.
The letter of condolence runs as
follows:
continued on page 11
Currency account (from all countries, except Russia)
INTERMEDIARY:
AMERICAN EXPRESS BANK LTD, NEW YORK
SWIFT CODE: AEIB US 33
New York Agency
P.O. Box 740, New York, NY 10008
BENEFICIARY`s BANK:
740357
VTB BANK (ARMENIA)` CJSC
(FORMERLY - ARMSAVINGSBANK)
YEREVAN, ARMENIA
SWIFT: ARMJAM22
BRANCH KOTAYK
BENEFICIARY:
GULKANYAN ANUSH ARAMAISI
Account N 160241107442
REAL ESTATE
Plot of Land for Sale,
Nork Marash
Residental Area, Nork Marash
9/11 street, 1000sq.m., 3m high
walls around plot; beautiful uninterrupted view of city; water, electricity and excavation for basement is
made; terraces and fruit trees. Ready
for building a villa with swimming
pool. Price negotiable.
Tel.: 52-23-12, 091 40-85-72
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
3
For Rent
A comfortable, new repaired apartment attached to "Bass" hotel. The 2nd floor
of the private house with a separate entrance from the street. The apartment has
a dinning room, 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, 2 balconies. It has a central
heating system, permanent hot and cold water and air conditioners, washing
machine, drying, TV satellite and all other facilities.
A nice view to Mount Ararat. The house has a nice garden.
Price: 460.000 - 480.000 AMD monthly, for a long time and daily 25.000 AMD
with hotel service and breakfast in Bass restaurant.
The photos you can see at the website:
http://www.menuatours.com.Menua%20apartments/features/feuA0214.htm
Address: Aygedzor Street, house 3, Yerevan.
More information call Tel. 278-709; mob. (093) 598-205
Landplot
Big and small landplots on sale
Located 1 km from Proshian sovkhoz towards the city of Ashtarak
Price: starting from 1,000 drams (1 sq.m) to 35,000 drams,
as well as detached houses and half-finished buildings
Vahakni
Community
Tel.: 519993
519994
48 Mashtots Str., Yeravan, E-mail:info@rvrealty.am,
URL:www.rvrealty.am
For Rent
Note: The other photos of the given apartments and houses you can find
at our website
Apartments
a1.3]0907 Yekmalyan str.
13/5, 3 rooms, 157 sq/m, euro
repaired, balcony, furnished, permanent cold & hot water, heating water
tank, gas, gas & electric heat, TV set,
satellite antenna, refrigerator, laundry
washer, Jacuzzi, elevator, garage
Price: 2500$
a1.3]0917 Alek Manukyan
str.
stone building, 5/3, 2 rooms, 80sq/m,
euro repaired, balcony, permanent
cold & hot water, heating water tank350litres, gas, gas & electric heat,
refrigerator, laundry washer, fireplace, telephone
Price: 800$
a1.3]0926 Zakyan str.
stone building, 6/5th +6th floors, 3
and more rooms, 340sq/m, euro
repaired, balcony, furnished, 4 WCs,
permanent cold & hot water, heating
water tank-1 ton, gas, gas heat, 2 TV
sets, satellite antenna, refrigerator,
laundry washer, 4 air-conditioners, 2
fireplaces, telephone
Price: 2800$
a1.3]0932 Moskovyan
str.
50 Gevorg Chaush
Yerevan Armenia 0057
E-Mail: sales@hovint.am
Web: www.vahakni.com
Sales Office Telephone: 37410 390102
Sales Office Telefax: 37410 399780
Administration Office: 37410 399721
Ararat Valley Country Club: 37410 394085
FOR RENT
Apartament with a garden in the center of Yerevan is for rent. The
apartament is on 3rd floor, has 4 rooms: a sitting room, two bed rooms and
a study. It has kitchen, a corridor, a bathroom, a toilet, a balcony and a lodge
with the view of the city and Mount Ararat. The total area of the apartment
is 140 sq.m. It was recently repaired, has new furniture and electrict appliances,washing machine, TV set, refrigerator and gas stove. It has natural gas
and 24-hour hot and cold water supply, separate Internet cabel and telephone. Possibility and satellite TV. Extra garage. The house is near the
Cascade.
Address: 46 Sarmen street (former Jrashat).
The monthly rent is $600
Short-term rent is $50 per day
Phone: 091 458801, 010 529654
2-storied PRIVATE HOUSE FOR SALE
Apartment to rent:
2-bedroom apartment on Pushkin
St./Gh.Parpetsi St., 2-nd floor, 80 sq.
m., h-3.2 m, refurbished, 2 bathrooms, 24 hour cold and hot water
supply, alarm system, air conditioning, automatic laundry machine,
piano, vault in-wall safe, for a long
term. Available from August 1,
2007.
290.000 AMD (appr.
$850/month).
Tel: 53.14.54, Karine
For Rent
An apartment on Tamanyan
Street at the cascade, 2 bedrooms, a
bathroom.
Recently renovated.
For more information call:
22-22-96, or (091) 38-39-55
In Ptghni, 3 rooms, 1000 sq.m. plot of land, fruit trees, pool, bath
house, drinking and irrigation water, electricity, can have gas, sewerage system, picturesque view.
Price: 10.000000AMD, haggling
Tel: 010 250397, mob. 091 314710 Susanna.
4-room apartment
5/5, 98.7 sq.m, h=3.20 m
attic on the 6th floor
106.75 sq.m, in good state
FOR RENT
price: $630,000 or 211,000,000
ADM advance payment
phone: 56-06-31, 093253300
Armine
Apartment for rent at 17 Abovian street, 3rd floor, apt 19. The
apartment has 2 rooms, 69 sq.m., it is unsettled, newly repaired and
fully furnished. There are gas, and permanent water. Furnished with
all domestic equipments: water heater, washing machine, air conditioner, gas stove and etc.
Monthly price is 1200 USD.
Tel.: 091 494139
Cascade
For Sale
New Nork, 3rd Massiv, 6
Kocharian st., apt. 49, 2nd floor, 2
rooms, normal conditions, gas, electricity, cold/hot running water. Price:
negotiable.
Tel. (010) 648 474
stone building, 6/2, 3 rooms, 70sq/m,
euro repaired, furnished, permanent
cold & hot water, water tank, gas, gas
heat, TV set, refrigerator, laundry
washer, air-conditioner, telephone,
heating floor, elevator
Price: 1500$ per month and 100$
per day
a1.3]0933 Vardanants str.
panel building, 10/6,
2 rooms
changed into 3,
67sq/m, euro
repaired, furnished, cold & hot water,
heating water tank-400litres, gas, TV
set, refrigerator, laundry washer,
DVD
Price: 500$
a3.2]0104 H. Kochar str.
10/4, 2 rooms, 70sq/m, euro repaired,
permanent cold & hot water, heating
water tank, gas, gas heat, TV set,
refrigerator, vacuum cleaner, DVD,
elevator
Price: 600$
a3.3]0242 Vagharshyan
str.
4/2, 2 rooms, 70,5sq/m, balcony,
permanent cold & hot water, gas,
electric heat, air-conditioner, TV set,
refrigerator, laundry washer, vacuum
cleaner, mini system, Jacuzzi, dishes,
bed
Price: 40$ per day
a3.3]0392 Baghramyan
str.
stone building, 4/2, 2 rooms changed
into 3, 70sq/m, euro repaired, balcony, furnished, permanent cold &
hot water, water tank-200litres, gas,
gas heat, TV set, refrigerator, laundry washer, air-conditioner, telephone
Price: 70$ per day
20 August #688 Š 2007
4
Decision may be taken in September
from page 1
exception among these countries.
After almost 10 years of the
“political quarantine”, a configuration may form in Armenia’s political field, on the eve of presidential
elections, to give the former president L. Ter-Petrosian a chance to
return to politics. This long period
of public silence and the cataclysms of the past period have
resulted in the fact that although
the Armenian society still remembers most mistakes and blunders of
L. Ter-Petrosian, it most of all
accuses him of one, namely, it was
L. Ter-Petrosian who brought the
current president R. Kocharian and
the prime minister S. Sargsian into
the “party of power” in the 1990s.
As for L. Ter-Petrosian’s rating, most likley, it is not high. Yet
this is quite a moot point. If people
were asked qustions like: “Do you
want L. Ter-Petrosian to return?”,
the percentage of affirmative
answers would be obviously insufficient. However, if the question
were put in a bit different way, for
example: “Suppose tomorrow you
will have to vote for one of the two
candidates - Levon Ter-Petrosian
and Serge Sargsian - at the presidential elections. Whom would you
give your vote?” In this case a clear
picture in favor the former president would form. It is natural
because the first question is sowewhat abstract, while the second one
models the version of a much more
real political scenario, taking into
account the extremely low personal rating of noncharismatic Serge
Sargsian.
As regards the administrative
resource which, as the last parliamentary elections showed, is now
controlled to a considerable extent
by the prime minister, it is not so
monolithic as it may seem at the
first glance. It has quite a few rifts
which can be seen with a naked
eye. It is not ruled out that L. TerPetrosian’s emergence in the public political arena may lead to a
serious split within the today’s
“party of power”, including in the
Republican Party of Armenia,
“Prosperous Armenia” party,
power structures, large groups of
influnece, etc, i.e. redistribution of
resources may happen.
Supporters of L. Ter-Petrosian
should realize that their path will
not be strewn with roses and they
have no right to get into a euphoria.
They should understand that the
attitude of Armenia’s population to
the figure of the former president is
ambiguous. Another thing is obvious as well: L. Ter-Petsosian’s
positions may strengthen if he
relies not only on the small group
of his supporters or only on the
Armenian National Movement
(ANM) but on a wider coalition.
The leaders of ANM are probably
less jealous of their potential partners by the wide coalition because
the number of votes received by the
former ruling party at the parliamentary elections of 1999 and
2003 indicates that the people are
not afire with love for them.
In fact, L. Ter-Petrosian may
arouse serious interest of voters, if
he succeeds in answering the following questions (among others):
- With what political program
does he return to public politics?
- Who will be members of his
political team?
It is evident that voters will put
forward higher requirements to the
former president than to Serge
Sargsian, as peope have no special
expectations concerning the latter.
We believe that the former
president will make the final decision on whether to run in the
upcoming elections or not after he
will:
i) completely solve the issues
related to formation of his political
team, as well as to his allies and
partners,
ii) get enough guarantee of
either support or neutrality from a
number of resource groups of influence in the “party of power”,
iii) solve at least part of the key
problem with major “outside”
players.
In connection with the last
point, we must underline that the
press under the control of the
“party of power” tries to methodically create an image of a “proAmerican” L. Ter-Petrosian. At
the same time, the good personal
relations of the prime minister S.
Sargsian and the Russian president
Vladimir Putin are constantly
accentuauted.
Meanwhile, we should note that
L. Ter-Petrosian has always been
in favor of conducting a balanced
political line between the allied
Russia and the West. To recap, all
the fundamental documents of
Armenian-Russian cooperation
were signed by L. Ter-Petrosian.
Besides, why will V. Putin, a
native of Saint Petersburg who
always nominates those from this
city for important state posts, disagree with nomination of L. TerPetrosian? The latter has close connections with the “northern capital” of Russia. The former president of Armenia completed his
post-graduate studies in Saint
Petersburg, later defended his
Ph.D. and doctoral theses there.
His wife was born in that city. And
yet another important and interesting fact is that L. Ter-Petrosian and
V. Putin have personally known
each other since January 1994.
In conclusion, we’d like to note
that, in making a final decision
about nomination of his candidature, L. Ter-Petrosian will be guided neither by curses from the camp
of supporters of the “party of
power” nor by screams of delight
from the camp of his political
admirers. The final decision will be
taken by the former president after
his own cool and impartial analysis
when all arguments for and against
have been weighed and made accurate within a political milligram.
Only when the integral sum of
political risks is much less than real
chances of success, Levon TerPetrosian will make a final decision
on nomination/refusal to nominate
his candidature.
It should not be long, we
believe it will happen at the very
start of the new political season, i.e
in September.
He is Diaspora in Homeland and
Homeland in Diaspora
On the occasion of the 80th
anniversary of philosopher and historian Gevorg Kherlopian.
Gevorg Kherlopian Ardzagank (“Youthful response”) of
By Sahakanush Sahakian
There are personalities for the
introduction of whom one should
direct one’s look and thought to
remote targets.
“With his large-scale skills he
continues to make fruitful, both by
his searchings and teaching, a number of uncultivated but furtile soils
of Armenology. This skill includes a
structure of knowledge, where
refugee scientific spheres of classic
and modern Armenia, as well as of
the Armenian Diaspora will interweave and develop,” this is how Dr.
Vahagn Dadrian from the New York
University has described the devoted
and great intellectual, whose greatest
work in the research of the Armenian
social philosophy, culture, history,
science of the Diaspora, and that of
the genocide is, perhaps, difficult to
cover in a condensed proclaiming
form. He is often called “a scientist
of renaissance capacity,” when
referred to his 15 books, about 400
scientific articles, as well as numerous Armenological materials published
in
the
Armemenian
Encyclopedia (he was a member of
its editorial board).
I
speak
about
Gevorg
Kherlopian, an experienced peda-
20 August #688 Š 2007
POLITICS
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
gogue, culturologist and historian,
prominent sociologist and philosopher, and, finally, an honest and
patriotic Armenian, who will turn 80
on August 19 this year.
He was born in Aleppo, to the
family of Tigran Kherlopian, the
founder of the Armenology
Department of the Haigazian
University of Beirut. He received
preliminary education in his homeland and in 1946 entered Yerevan
State University and studied in the
Department of the Armenian language, Psychology and Logic. He
had his maiden articles published in
the following editions: Graser
(“Bibliophile”) of Aleppo, Janaser
(“Diligent”)
and
Patanekan
Beirut.
He defended a degree work on
“Inheritance of Anton Garagashian”
in 1951, received a candidate’s doctorate on philosophical sciences for
the “World outlook of Anania
Shirakatsi” dissertation in 1960, and
in 1974, a doctor’s degree on sciences for the “History of Armenian
Social Philosophy” work, with
which he became the founder of the
scientific research of the history of
the Armenian social science.
Gevorg Kherlopian has undertaken
the research of the philosophical and
theological inheritance of Grigor
Narekatsi (great Armenian poet and
phlosopher of the 10th century)
since 1972, as a result of which half
a dozen of works have been published, including: “Why not to be
Narekatsis?” and “The theory of
Narekatsi’s spirituality.”
Kherlopian has studied the history of the Armenian theology under
the aegis of His Holiness Vazgen I,
the Catholicos of All Armenians, and
Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan. He was
a member of the legal commission of
the Catholicosate of All Armenians
for many years. As good as his oath,
after moving to the United States in
1989 the tireless scientist continued
not only the research of history and
culture, but also involved deeply into
continued on page 11
ANM to nominate Levon Ter-Petrosian in
2008 presidential elections
from page 1
National Movement, Serge Sargsian
will not put forward his own candidature. “I think that he will not dare
to nominate himself, will not be able
to look into the eyes of Levon TerPetrosian and say anything,” Ararat
Zurabian said.
In response to the question of
whether there is a social demand for
the nomination of the candidature of
Levon
Ter-Petrosian,
Ararat
Zurabian mentioned that “there is a
social demand for changing these
authorities and handing the helm of
the state to another political figure,”
as, in his opinion, the society does
not approve of the current authorities and does not consider them to
be “the team, which should lead
Armenia for another five or ten
years.”
In the conviction of Ararat
Zurabian, neither opposition nor a
common candidate of authorities
can exist in the forthcoming presi-
Ararat Zurabian
dential elections, since the number
of those pretending on the post of
the President of Armenia is big.
“The concept of a common candidate is not very important. It is more
important that a centre of gravity is
formed, which will be an alternative
to these authorities and will create
an opportunity of choice for our
society,” the Chairman of the
Administration of the Armenian
National Movement party mentioned.
“It is late for opposition to
unite,” Galust Sahakian
believes
By Sona Avagian
We should adjust ourselves to
the thought that the Republican
Party of Armenia will play a decisive role in the forthcoming presidential elections. This statement
was made by Galust Sahakian, a
member of the board of the
Republican Party of Armenia, at
the press conference, which was
held on August 15. He also mentioned that it is already late for the
opposition to develop principles of
unification and unite around them.
In addition to this, according to
Galust Sahakian, the unification of
the opposition forces and their participation in the elections only for
the purpose of having their own
chairman “does not submit to any
political logic.” “Whereas, we do
not regard the presidential elections as mere elections of the president: these are elections, as a
result of which political teams are
formed with new assignments, new
ideas, and new principles,” the representative of the Republican Party
of Armenia mentioned.
According to him, there are
Galust Sahakian
rather serious problems in the
country and they agree to part of
the criticisms directed at the
authorities. “I do not say that people admire the current authorities,
However, the current authoroties
manage to prove in practice what
they say, to present their promises
not by romantic, but by real pictures,” Galust Sahakian said.
Touching upon the issue of cooperation with the opposition, he
expressed conviction that issues,
which are of strategical significance for the country, would be
better to solve jointly.
Enrollment at I.C.Y. Elementary School
Is Now Open for the 2007-2008
Academic Year!
9 Children 18 months to 12 yearsold have a unique opportunity to
gain from a rigorous and enriching academic program from
preschool through sixth grade.
9 We deliver quality English-language education that meets or
exceeds US standards.
9 Other languages offered include
Armenian, French, Arabic and
Russian.
Discover I.C.Y. Now.
Your Children Are Worth It!
Request our schedule of open houses or make an appointment to visit us
for additional information about our academic programs.
Contact International Center for the Young at 56-92-00, 56-23-37
or (091) 47-40-63, or via e-mail at icy_armenia@hotmail.com.
I.C.Y. …High-quality education, a child at a
time, for a happier planet.
REAL ESTATE
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
YOUR DEAL IS OUR DEAL
FOR SALE
1 room
MR E A L T Y
Š 491 Baghramian Ave., 9/5, 41.5 sq.m, normal condition, 1 room built into 2 rooms,
Czech tile, gas, running water, built-in closets,
price - 27 million drams
Š 484 Nalbandian str, 4/1, 56 sq.m, normal
condition, running hot/cold water, gas possibility, price negotiable
Š 483 Abovian str, 6/6, stone building, elevator, 50 sq.m, individual design, euro windows, normal condition, Spanish tile, 3 water
tanks, price negotiable
Š 480 Koghbatsi str, 11/9, 43 sq.m, Euro
standard repair, gas, Spanish tile, kitchen furniture, price - 24 million drams
Š 202 Kievian str, 5/2, stone building, 37
sq.m, new Euro standard repair, Spanish tile,
running hot/cold water, gas, 18.5 million
drams
Š 430 Tumanian str, 3/3, 44 sq.m, capital
Euro standard repair, lodge balcony, gas, running water, price negotiable
2-rooms
Š 1171
Sarian str, 6/5, 75 sq.m, newly
built building, no need of inner repair, iron
door, price negotiable
Š 1169
Arami str, 9/2, newly built building,
capital repairs are underway, 2 bedrooms, 2
lavatories, price: 1 sq.m-$2000
Š 1148
Moskovian str, 4/4, 78 sq.m, Stalin
era building, the roof is repaired, clean, 2
rooms built into 3 rooms, 80 million drams
Š 1162
Demirchian str, 5/3, 86.5 sq.m,
stone building, needs repair, individual project,
Czech tile, open balcony, price negotiable
Š 1130
Heratsi str, 7/3, 100 sq.m, 2
closed household balconies, gas, running
water, 45 million drams
Š 1129
Cascade, Tamanian str, 4/3, 70
sq.m, capital repair, open balcony, sight of
Tamanian monument, price negotiable
Š 1108
Sayat Nova str, 9/3, elevator, 68
sq.m, 2 rooms built into 3 rooms, repaired,
Spanish tile, 3 water tanks, built-in closets, 30
sq.m living room, price: 50 million drams
Š 1094
Terian str, 5/1, 80 sq.m, repaired,
tiled lavatory, concrete cover, price: 80 million
drams
3 rooms
Š 1973
Cascade, Tamanian str, 5/5, 91
sq.m, concrete cover, needs repair, running
water, possibility of the 6th floor, open balcony
towards the Tamanian monument, price
negotiable
Š 1965
Pushkin str, 8/1, newly built building, 190 sq.m, 5 rooms, capital Euro standard
repair, heating system, price negotiable
1965 Northern Ave, 8/1, 190 sq.m, capital
repair, individual heating system, price negotiable
Š 1939
Demirchian str, newly built building, 14/8, 180 sq.m, plastered, 2 parking,
beautiful sight, price: 1sq.m - 450 thousand
drams
Š 1933
Mashtots Ave, 5/1,2, 200 sq.m,
1st floor: swimming pool, sauna, billiard, 2nd
floor: 3 bedrooms, new furniture, oak stairs,
price: 98 million drams
Š 1929
Baghramian Ave, near the Anelik
Bank, 4/3,4, 150 sq.m, capital repair, concrete, gas, BAXI, Spanish tile, 2 open balconies, Stalin era building, price negotiable
Š 1932
Koryun str, near "Aragast" café,
3/3, 160 sq.m, 4 rooms, capital repair, BAXI,
gas, running water, furniture, price negotiable
PREMISES
Š 1268
Komitas, Gaidar str, capital repair,
180 sq.m, stained-glass window - 7m, 2
entrances, suitable for shop, office, price
negotiable
Š 1191
Abovian Tumanian crossroad, 2
storied, needs repair, basement - 97 sq.m, 1st
floor - 100 sq.m, partial sale is possible
Š 1212
Khorenatsi str, 240 sq.m, 5/1,
stained-glass window - 17m, is suitable for a
shop, restaurant, price negotiable
Š 1214
Kievian str, 150 sq.m, working
hair-dressing saloon, entrance from the street,
capital repair, 2 storied, basement + 1st floor,
1st floor -110 sq.m, 2nd floor - 40 sq.m, price
negotiable
Š 896 Mashtots 37, near Opera House, 81
sq.m, 2 halls for 38 persons, stained-glass
window - 1.40 sq.m, kitchen 15 sq.m, furnished, 4 upward steps, has open stainedglass windows for a shop, price negotiable
Š 1168
Vardanants str, 125 sq.m, good
condition, stained-glass window - 6m,
entrance zero, 2 halls, cabinet, lavatory, price
negotiable
Š 1129
Khanjian str, 5/1, 90 sq.m, 2 halls,
2 cabinets, lavatory, good repair, entrance
from the street, suitable for hair dressing
saloon, shop, office, price negotiable
LANDS
Š 1039
Shorzha, on the lakeside of
Sevan, 10 thousand sq.m, privatized, 50m far
from the lakeside, 1sq.m- 7 thousand drams
635 Cascade, 2 plots of lands, 1100+911
sq.m, 1 sq.m- 150 thousand drams
Š 518 Balahovit, near the Abovian highway,
land- 1.62 hectares, building - 565 sq.m, privatized, enclosed, the building has 2
entrances, 1sq.m- 4.500 drams
Š 446 Canadian district, adjacent to
Monument, privatized, empty, 2000 sq.m,
1sq.m- $160 (1sq.m- 73.600 drams)
Š 571 Blur, on the side-walk, 1st land plot30m, 3500 sq.m, (1 sq.m- $100) 2nd land plot18m, 1200 sq.m, (1sq.m- $250)
Š 824 Tsarav Aghbyur, 1500 sq.m, privatized, empty, enclosed, 1 sq.m- 50 thousand
drams
PRIVATE HOUSES
Š 1561
Monument, land plot - 800 sq.m,
building 15*16 sq.m, garage for 4 cars, cellar,
5 bedrooms, 3 lavatories, swimming pool,
sauna, cabinet, price negotiable
Š 1334
Cascade, land plot - 3000 sq.m,
building - 1350 sq.m, Ani tuffa, new major
repair, plastered, eoro windows, swimming
pool, price negotiable
Š 1333
Blur, land plot 800 sq.m, 2 storied
stone building 650 sq.m, basement 320 sq.m,
faced with white felsite, fenced, swimming
pool, facing gorge, 3 bedrooms, 4 lavatories,
Spanish tile, garage for 2 cars, price negotiable
Š 1888
Monument, land- 5000 sq.m, 2
newly built and repaired building, privatized,
greenery garden, swimming pool, price negotiable
Š 1534
Sundukian str, land plot 440 sq.m,
fenced, 1st floor: dining room, kitchen, lavatory, 2nd floor: 4 bedrooms, 3 lavatories, 3rd
floor: 1 room, 1 lavatory price: 220 million
drams
FOR RENT
1 room
Š 647 Cascade, Tamanian str, 5/2, 40 sq.m,
Euro standard repair, new furniture, household items, only long term, 250 thousand
drams
Š 388 Tumanian str, 5/2, 42 sq.m, Euro standard repair, washing machine, shower cabin
in the lavatory, gas, 1 month - 200 thousand
drams
Š 491 Sayat Nova str, 12/7, elevator, 1 room
built into 2 rooms, 50 sq.m, Euro standard
repair, running hot/cold water, bar, computer,
household items, 190 thousand drams per
month, 17 thousand drams per day
Š 602 Abovian str, 5/4, normal condition, furniture, air conditioner, automatic washing
machine, BAXI, running hot/water, 180 thousand drams per month, 20 thousand drams
per day
Š 529 Amirian str, 5/2, 50 sq..m, Spanish tile,
Euro standard repair, air conditioner, running
water, BAXI system, 180 thousand drams per
month
Š 522 Mashtots Ave, 5/2, 34 sq.m, Euro standard repair running hot/cold water, gas, air
conditioner, telephone, fridge, automatic
washing machine, 190 thousand drams per
month
2 rooms
Š 1009
Abovian str, 6/3, 96 sq.m, 1 bedroom, capital Euro standard repair, air conditioner, furniture, household items, 330 thousand drams per month
Š 994 Amirian str, 4/3, 66 sq.m, newly
repaired, Spanish tile, jacuzzi, shower cabin,
running hot/cold water, furniture, household
items, 480 thousand drams per month, 26
thousand drams per day
Š 602 Pushkin str, 9/4, capital repair, satellite
antenna, Spanish tile, running hot/cold water,
300 thousand drams
Š 1018
Tumanian str, 4/4, 80 sq.m, Euro
standard repair, running hot/cold water, air
conditioner, furniture, household items, 300
thousand drams per day
Š 1051
Moskovian str, 4/4, 78 sq.m, Euro
standard repair, Spanish tile, running hot/cold
water, geyser, gas possibility, 200 thousand
drams per month
5
564631
562181
12 G. Lusavorich str,
Mrealty25@yandex.ru, www.mrealty. nt.am
3 rooms
Š 1361
Sayat Nova str, 7/3, 350 sq.m,
capital Euro standard repair, sauna, 3 bedrooms, 5 lavatories, furniture, household
items, 1.1 million drams
Š 1362
Abovian str, 5/2, 70 sq.m, 2 bedrooms, air conditioner, capital repair, electric
heating, furniture, price 500 thousand drams
Š 1331
Tumanian str, 90 sq.m, Euro standard repair, newly built building, running
hot/cold water, gas, furniture, household
items, 380 thousand drams
Š 1324
Northern Ave, 8/6, 150 sq.m, 2
bedrooms, Euro standard repair, 4 air conditioners, furniture, running hot/cold water, 900
thousand drams
Š 446 Bayron str, 200 sq.m, 4/4,5, Euro
standard repair, 2 lavatories, garage, Spanish
tile, fire place, 2 household balconies, 750
thousand drams
Š 1334
Parpetsi str, 4/1,2, each floor-170
sq.m, Euro standard repair, with separate
entrances, bar, 350 thousand drams
Š 1075
Mashtots Ave, 4/3,4, 110 sq.m, 3
bedrooms, 2 lavatories, gas, joined with stairs,
Euro standard repair, euro windows, new furniture, air conditioner, 40 thousand drams per
day
Š 832 Parpetsi str, near Opera House, 4/3,
170 sq.m, Euro standard repair, running
hot/cold water, 730 thousand drams per
month
Š 1134
Pushkin Terian crossroad, 6/4,
elevator, newly built, new capital repair,
entrance by code, air conditioner, excellent
furnished, 675 thousand drams
Newly build building in Main Avenue
The building has 3 subsidiary buildings, 12 and 14 floor
Will be put to operation at the second half of 2008
Commercial areas are located in the first and second floor
The Price of 1 sq.m. is started from 430 000 drams
PRIVATE HOUSES
Š 873 Blur, Duman str, land plot - 600 sq.m,
4 storied stone building, Euro standard repair,
1st floor: cabinet, hall, lavatory, 2nd floor: living
room, 3 bedrooms, 3rd floor: 4 bedrooms,
lavatory, 4th floor: attic, price: 2.2 million
drams
Š 867 Monument, 3 storied, each floor 120
sq.m, 3 bedrooms, 2 lavatories, garage for 3
cars, Euro standard repair, non-settled, price:
1,2 million drams per month
Š 857 Shiraz, G1 district, land plot 700 sq.m,
2 storied stone building, living room, kitchen, 4
bedrooms, 1 lavatory, price: 1,1 million drams
Š 821 Blur, 4 storied, 1st floor: garage, 2nd
floor: hall, kitchen, living room, cabinet, 3rd
floor: 4 bedrooms, 1 lavatory on each floor,
Spanish tile, repaired, furnished, price: 780
thousand drams
Š 852 Aygedzor str, 2 storied building, 2 bedrooms, tiled lavatory, furniture, household
items, price: $2500
Š 590 Aygestan str, garden 500 sq.m, 5 storied stone building, each floor 180 sq.m, 4
bedrooms, cabinet, 5 lavatories, elevator,
price: 2,5 million drams
Š 674 Antarayin, newly built, 4 storied, 320
sq.m, living area, Euro standard repair, 4 bedrooms, 6 lavatories, shower cabin, Spanish
tile, heating system, furnished, price: 1,8 million drams
Š 800 Antarayin str, Euro standard repair, 2
storied building, has cellar, 1st house: 2 bedrooms, 1 lavatory, cellar, garden, 2nd house:
3 bedrooms, 2 lavatories, Euro standard
repair, beautiful view, price: 700 thousand
drams
OFFICE TERRITORY
Š 1218
Territories according to the
demanded sq.m, 1 sq.m - $35, at the business
part of the Nord complex
Š 948 Amirian str, 2 storied - 210 sq.m, privatized, newly built, 1st floor: 58 sq.m, 2nd
floor: 151 sq.m, 2 lavatories, 1 sq.m - $15
Š 1127
Vardanants str, 1 storied, 3steps
downward, suitable for office, 220 sq.m, price:
1,2 million drams
Š 1255
Moskovian str, 6/2, office territory,
5 rooms, director's office, telephone, Internet,
107 sq.m, Euro standard repair, code, running
hot/cold water, sight of the monument of
Sarian, garage for 1 car, price: 500 thousand
drams
Š 1141
Mashtots Ave, near 'SAS' supermarket, semi-basement, 5-6 downward steps,
restaurant, 200 sq.m, price per month is negotiable
Š 1199
Davitashen district, 3 storied separate building, the floors are joined with marble
stairs, each floor - 135 sq.m, suitable for an
office, big parking, 7 rooms, 2 halls, 2 lavatories, price: 1,6 million drams
Š 1222
Nalbandian str, office territory, 2
entrances, zero entrance, h-3,2m, BAXI system, empty, half-repaired, price: 600 thousand
drams
At the 2nd and 3rd floors of business part of NORD complex areas for
rent by required sq. m. The price of 1 sq.m. is 35$
8 storied newly build building
in the avenue Hyusisayin
Started from 92 sq.m., will be
put in operation at the end of
2008, the price for 1sq.m. is
started from 520 000 AMD.
Code 1359- Zaqian street, 2nd floor of the 5 storied newly build building,
160 sq.m., heating system, climate control, 3 bedrooms, 2 lavatories, fireplace, garage. Price: 1200000 Dram
855. Newly built private house for rent in G1 district. Price: 1million drams.
3 storied building, euro repair, 2 bedrooms, 2 lavatories,
air conditioner, new furniture, technical equipments.
20 August #688 Š 2007
6
The Boston Globe Boston,
Massachusetts
Editorial
A genocide not to be denied
August 3, 2007
THE
ANTI-DEFAMATION
League is caught in a controversy
not of its making.
Still, as an organization concerned about human rights, it ought
to acknowledge the genocide against
the Armenian people during World
War I, and criticize Turkish attempts
to repress the memory of this historical reality.
Some members of Watertown’s
Armenian-American community
want the league, a predominantly
Jewish group that sponsors a No
Place for Hate campaign in that
neighborhood, to condemn the genocide or end its sponsorship of the
campaign. Armenian-Americans are
seeking recognition of the genocide
in Congress, and the ADL would
seem like a natural ally. Its No Place
for Hate program has been successful nationally at improving relations
across ethnic, racial, and religious
lines.
Armenian-Americans are frustrated that Turkey has failed to
acknowledge the 1915-1916 genocide orchestrated by leaders of the
Ottoman Empire, predecessor to
modern Turkey. “An end must be
put to their existence,” wrote Talaat
Pasha, the Ottoman interior minister,
in 1915. In his 1918 memoir, Henry
Morgenthau, the US ambassador,
wrote that “The whole history of the
human race contains no such horrible episode as this.” Perhaps 1.5 million people died.
The slaughter of the Armenians
would be followed a generation later
by the Holocaust, a crime against
humanity with a greater death toll.
POLITICS
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
There is some evidence that Hitler
saw the genocide as a precedent for
his atrocities. This is disputed by
those who falsely dismiss the
Armenian slaughter as exaggerated.
In any case, the historical record
needs to be affirmed.
The matter is complicated by
ADL support for Israel, which needs
to keep on good terms with Turkey,
one of its few friends in the Islamic
world. But the ADL is not an arm of
Israel, and whatever it does will not
affect Turkish foreign policy.
Moreover, Turkey’s genocide
denial is being used as one of the
pretexts to keep it out of the
European Union. It would be in
Turkey’s interest to acknowledge the
crime, apologize, and get this controversy out of the way.
“Facing History and Ourselves,”
the nonprofit educational organization, pioneered study of the
Holocaust in the public schools 30
years ago. Its curriculum includes
sections on the mistreatment of
Chinese immigrants in the United
States, the Cambodian genocide of
the 1970s, and — with particular
emphasis — the Armenian genocide.
An outline of this section concludes:
“Following the First World War, an
absence of political and moral will
dashed any hopes for justice.”
The bloodshed in the Darfur
region of Sudan is the first test of
whether genocide can be stopped in
this century. Failure to acknowledge
past atrocities will encourage wouldbe perpetrators to believe they can
get away with them, just as the
Ottoman Empire did.
(c) Copyright 2007 Globe
Newspaper Company
Dollar vs. Dram Fact vs. Fiction
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher, The
California Courier
In the last couple
of years, the U.S. dollar has lost
more than 40% of its value against
the Armenian currency, the dram.
This devaluation has had a major
impact on Armenia¦s economy on
several fronts:
- On-going projects in Armenia,
funded in dollars from overseas,
have considerably exceeded their
allotted budgets, forcing investors
and donors either to curtail their projects in order to remain on budget or
substantially increase their planned
expenditures.
- The stronger dram has reduced
Armenia¦s exports, as Armenian
products have become more expensive for foreign buyers.
- A large number of Armenians,
who have been surviving on funds
sent to them from their families
overseas, have had their incomes
reduced drastically, as the dollars
they receive are worth much less
than before.
- On the positive side, imports
from overseas have become cheaper,
as the dram now buys much more in
dollars.
The devaluation of the dollar has
given rise to speculations as to the
true reasons for the reduction in the
value of the dollar vs. the dram.
Some have alleged that by lowering
the value of the dollar, the local oligarchs are able to import cheaper
goods. Unfortunately, most of those
who have written about this issue in
the press have had no professional
training on the subject of currency
exchange, leading them to make
uninformed judgments.
Recently, when an acquaintance
asked this writer for his opinion on
the alarming rate of the devaluation
of the dollar in Armenia, he advised
this individual to contact an expert in
financial matters so that facts are
separated from fiction. In response
to his queries, Vache Gabrielyan, a
Board Member of the Central Bank
of Armenia, wrote a brief analysis,
providing his reasons for the devaluation of the dollar vs. the dram.
Gabrielian explained that in the
past 5 years, except for rising investment and trade flows, the inflow of
dollars sent to citizens (not businesses) through the banking system
alone has increased from $420 million in 2002 to $1.2 billion in 2006.
These large amounts of transfers or
remittances from overseas, along
with other factors, such as productivity improvements, have lowered the
value of the dollar. He said that “due
to a high share of migrant workers in
the workforce, as well as a widespread Diaspora, banking transfers
(remittances) are among the most
important.”
Gabrielyan pointed out that
“Armenia¦s GDP last year was about
$6 billion — i.e., the transfers
through the banking sector alone are
about one-fifth of the economy, and
the net inflow of banking system
transfers to private citizens — $450
million, is roughly equal to all the
printed cash money in circulation. In
such conditions, the Central Bank,
under constraints of not allowing too
much of local currency inflation has
absorbed about one-third of the net
inflow. You may have noticed that
exchange rate volatility is less this
year. Still, even after Central Bank
intervention the amount of inflow is
so large that it cannot not have an
impact on the exchange rate.”
He concluded by saying that “the
exchange rate appreciation is going
to continue, and this is not caused by
domestic factors. Indeed, US weak
dollar policy, growing oil prices and
our regional economic relationships
all have an impact on it. We hope,
that appreciation will proceed at a
slower pace, and we are trying to
mitigate it the best way we can.
Fixing the exchange rate is not a sustainable policy option, and none of
our professional international counterparts (the IMF, World Bank, etc.)
recommends such an action.”
Not being an expert in the field
of currency fluctuations, this writer
cannot give a definitive assessment
of the above analysis. It is hoped that
the level of discourse on this and all
other subjects would be taken out of
the domain of gossip and speculation
and turned over to those who are
experts in their respective fields.
Just because the dollar¦s value is
falling in Armenia, one should not
automatically jump to the conclusion
that this is due to fraudulent activity.
The Central Bank official provided a
seemingly reasonable explanation
for the devaluation of the dollar. If
other experts are willing to present
their analyses, this writer will publish them too, providing an opportunity for the public to have a more
comprehensive understanding of the
financial situation in the Armenia.
Unsubstantiated accusations,
offered by those who have no expertise in currency fluctuations, only
serve to blame the wrong parties and
mislead a nervous Armenian public
that is already under great financial
stress.
Ambassador Evans and the Denial of Armenian Rights
By David B. Boyajian
It cost John Evans his job as US
ambassador to Armenia, but
acknowledging the Armenian genocide earned him the universal admiration of Armenians.
When the Armenian National
Committee of America and the USC
Institute of Armenian Studies honored him at West coast events in
March, Evans’ presentations were,
as expected, well received.
In contrast, his remarks at an
Armenian Assembly of America
tribute in Cambridge, Massachusetts
in May continue to raise serious
questions.
He praised the “much maligned”
Turkish Armenian Reconciliation
Commission (TARC) and its controversial 2003 genocide study produced through the NY-based
International Center for Transitional
Justice (ICTJ).
Evans then read the study’s findings that although the genocide is a
fact, “no legal, financial, or territorial claim arising out of [the 1915
genocide] could be made against any
individual or state” under the UN’s
1948 Genocide treaty.
The treaty, the study contended,
could not apply to a pre-1948 genocide.
One wonders, did the
American Jewish Committee and
Jewish
Community
Relations
Council, who attended Evans’
speech, buy that reasoning? Jews,
after all, have been paid billions for
their own pre-1948 genocide.
In any case, the ICTJ’s conclusion is disputed by scholars who cite
the UN’s 1968 Convention on the
Non-Applicability of Statutory
Limitations to War Crimes and
Crimes Against Humanity.
State Department Loyalty
Two years ago I wrote that
Ambassador Evans and David L.
Phillips, TARC’s moderator and a
US State Department consultant,
20 August #688 Š 2007
were “gleefully claiming” - ICTJ
report in hand - “that Armenians
cannot ask for restitution or land
from Turkey.”
Why has Evans publicly dismissed the reparations, restitution,
and land (“RRL”) issues for two
years? Does he consider Armenian
claims to be unrealistic?
Or does he simply believe that
genocide acknowledgment is a first
step toward resolving Armenian
RRL claims? If so, then why has he
implicitly been disparaging them? Is
it because he spent 35 years in the
State Department?
Aside from the genocide, admits
Evans, “never once” in his posts was
he “in serious disagreement with US
foreign policy.” For example, he has
not publicly criticized the State
Department’s obvious de facto support for Turkey’s blockade of
Armenia.
Indeed,
he
opposed
Washington’s genocide denial only
because it was deceitful and “ceases
to command respect.”
Evans recently said Turkey is “a
hugely important ally” sitting on
“valuable strategic property.” So
valuable that Armenian RRL claims
could complicate the US strategy of
using the Armenian Plateau in eastern Turkey to export Caspian oil and
gas?
We sincerely hope that Evans’
affirmation of the genocide is not
simply a ploy to facilitate US and
NATO penetration of the Caucasus
and Caspian.
Phony ICTJ Study
Armenians suspect that someone
associated with TARC, perhaps
David Phillips, rigged the ICTJ
study to showcase the kind of agreement the State Department could
live with: Armenians would get an
acknowledgement of their genocide,
but only on condition that Turkey is
let off the hook for RRL.
Indeed, two years before it was
completed, I wrote that the report
might try to negate Armenian claims
to “reparations and territory.” And
that’s exactly what happened.
To allay skeptics of the ICTJ
study, Evans told his Cambridge
audience that somebody “intimately
involved” with its “preparation” had
“assured” him that it “was not preordained by politics.” Sorry, but we
remain skeptical, particularly of the
study’s attempt to annul our rights.
During a presentation by David
Phillips at Harvard several years
ago, I asked him this: Did the State
Department create TARC to try to
ease Turkish - Armenian tensions
and thereby grease the way for US
penetration of the Caucasus? In his
circuitous answer, Phillips never
once said no.
So TARC, and probably the
ICTJ report, were setups.
Strange Statements
Evans has justified his stand on
the RRL issues by arguing that
Yerevan itself has asked only for
genocide
acknowledgment.
However, he knows better than anyone that, blockaded and under other
unrelenting pressures, Armenia is
hardly in a position to do otherwise.
In an L.A. Times interview
(April 24), Evans asserted that
Armenia cares about the genocide
less than does the diaspora. The truth
is actually just the opposite, as
proven by a scientific poll in 2003 by
the Aslan Group and Arlex
International. Why is Evans repeating Turkish propaganda intended to
divide Armenians?
And why did he urge his
Cambridge audience not to dismiss
Turkey’s recent offer to include
“third-country” scholars in a new
joint study? After all, a third party
did conduct the ICTJ study. And
third-party studies by the UN (in
1985) and others have all concluded
that the Armenian genocide is a fact.
Our Own Fault
Still, let’s not blame Evans for
our own shortcomings. Though
politically influential, we Armenian
Americans have few articulate and
inspiring political leaders. Hence,
we tend to idealize prominent nonArmenian personalities who say nice
things about us.
M o r e o v e r ,
Armenians have kept
the RRL issues too far
off to the side. As a
result, others mistakenly assume that we’d be
satisfied with a mere
Turkish government
press release acknowledging the genocide.
Armenians are realists, of course. They
know that the foreseeable future will bring
neither sufficient restitution nor land on the
Armenian Plateau.
H o w e v e r ,
Washington is trying to
sweet-talk Armenians
into permanently signing away their legitimate
rights
in
exchange for an insincere, easily revocable
Turkish admission of
guilt.
Armenians recently
won landmark genocide-related lawsuits
against NY Life and
French AXA insurance
companies. Litigation
is currently moving
forward
against
German banks that
hold Armenian assets
stolen by Turkey during the genocide. It
would be foolish,
therefore, to relinquish
the right to legal action
against Turkey itself.
Evans is writing a
book on his tenure in Armenia and
his daring mutiny against the State
Department. Armenians will take a
close look at it. In the meantime,
let’s take an even closer look at ourselves.
The author is a Massachusetts
based freelance writer
CMYK
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
7
3-room fully furnished APARTMENT FOR RENT in a newly constructed building:
- Barbuse Street
3 rd floor, elevator
- Musical center, TV set, air-conditioner, washing-machine
NO FRENCH IS ALONE ABROAD
Become members of the Union of French
OF ARMENIA!
Numerous benefits - advice, health
insurance - discount air tickets - hotels
$40 annual membership fee in 2007
BP 7 YEREVAN 0010
Email: contact@ufe-am.com
Phone: 091 512606 - 093 630621
www.ufe-am.com
ARMENIANS! FRIENDS OF FRANCE
JOIN THE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS of the Union of French
Abroad
Membership fee is $40 a year
BP 7 YEREVAN 0010
Email: contact@ufe-am.com
Phone: 091 512606 - 093 630621
www.ufe-am.com
Attention
New edition of the
Atlas: Armenia and adjacent countries
FIND YOUR ROAD IN ARMENIA
AND ADJUCENT COUNTRIES!
You can acquire the Atlas from the
bookstores of Yerevan or from the
Noyan Tapan printing house
Address: Yerevan, 28 Isahakian street,
Tel.: +37410 56-59-65,
E-mail: contact@nt.am
Price: $1200 per month
Tel: 56-54-53
"Siranuysh Yeghiazaryan" Diplomatic School
An exclusive school
in the region
Siranuysh Yeghiazaryan diplomatic school is officially registered and licensed
secondary school in Armenia with all subjects of comprehensive schools and additional subjects and services, which makes this school unique and exclusive in whole
South Caucasian region. The school consists of presecondary and secondary
schools. Besides, the school has opened its own kindergarden with all neccesary
facilities.
The additional subjects taught at the school are the following:
" International law
" Economics
" Diplomacy
" Political science
" Computer skills
" Chess, Logics
" Rhetorical art
" Sexual education
" Oriental martial arts
" Dance, Music
" Art and painting
" Ethics
" Origami
The school has a psychological service aims to raize the efficiency of the whole educational process in the school. The pupil
in the school is considered as a unique individuality.
The school provides its pupils with the high-quality food and transport. Completeness of classes is up to 7 pupils. Pupils
attend the school 5 times per. Each lesson lasts for 35 minutes at the secondary school. Pupils wear uniforms offered by the
School.
At present, the School cooperate with "Hovnanyan
International" Ltd, "Noyan Tapan" Information-Analytical
Center, representatives of diplomatic corps, Russian
Embassy to Armenia, as well as the chair "International
Economics" of Yerevan State University, famous culture
representatives.
Children arriving from foreign countries with parents
on temporary business or mission in Armenia are welcomed.
The educational program will be adjusted to their
home country requirements and relevant certificates will be
provided after the completion of each program. Hence
even temporary attendance will be vacant and appropriate
documents provided to children in order to continue education in their home countries after repatriation.
The Language Centre functioning in the same school
offers also the following language courses:
- English and French (for Armenians)
- Armenian and Russian for foreigners (no age limitation)
Vahakni Community, 50 G.Chaush Str., house# 3/1, Tel: 398104
20 August #688 Š 2007
8
CMYK
CELEBRATION
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
Ambassador Reena Pandey: “ Indian-Armenian Relations
Marked by Warmth and Regard for Each Other ”
India Celebrates 60th Anniversary of its Independence Day
By Gourgen
Khazhakian
- Your Excellency,
Please accept our warmest
congratulations on the occasion of
the National Holiday of the
Republic of India, Independence
Day.
We would be grateful for your
explanation of its background and
significance.
- Thank you for congratulations.
15th of August is celebrated in
India as a National Holiday to commemorate the birth of the world's
biggest democracy. It was on the
eve of 15th of August, 1947 that
India's first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the
Indian tricolour flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort of Delhi.
After more than 200 years of
British rule, India finally won back
its freedom on 15th August 1947.
The freedom movement involved a
wide spectrum of Indian political
organizations, philosophies and
rebellions between 1857 and
India's emergence as a nation state
on 15th August 1947. Mahatma
Gandhi was one of the principal
and world renowned architects of
India's freedom struggle.
The following quote from
India's first Prime Minister Nehru
on the eve of Independence Day
1947 beautifully expresses the feelings of all Indian people.
"At the stroke of the midnight
hour, when the world sleeps, India
will awake to life and freedom. A
moment comes, which comes but
rarely in history, when we step out
from the old to the new…..India
discovers herself again."
On this day all over India,
schools and people hoist the
national flag. The President of
India addresses the nation on the
eve of Independence Day. The
Prime Minister unfurls the flag at
the Red Fort on 15th August and
addresses the nation.
- What is your assessment of
the current level of the IndianArmenian relations in political,
economic and cultural spheres?
We would like you to dwell on the
most important recent events.
- Indian-Armenian bilateral
relations at all levels - political,
economic and cultural - are marked
by warmth and regard for each
other. The relations between the
two countries go back centuries
and are evidenced by the presence
of Armenian people and their
Churches in India. Politically there
has been high level exchange of
visits and the last three years witnessed the visits of the President of
the Republic of Armenia accompanied by a high level delegation,
Minister for Education and the
Chairman of the National
Assembly with a delegation of
Deputies to India. The Vice
President of India accompanied by
Members of Parliament and senior
officials came to Armenia in 2005
and in July 2007 the Minister of
State for Agriculture visited
Armenia. We are working on further high level visits. India and
Armenia share similar views on
several issues and have consistently supported each other in the UN
20 August #688 Š 2007
Reena Pandey and her husband, Dr Ashok K. Pandey with President of Armenia Robert Kocharian
and other multilateral agencies.
On the economic side, the last
three years particularly have seen a
steady growth in bilateral trade. In
December 2006, 300 tractors with
agricultural attachments from India
were handed over to the Minister of
Agriculture as part of India's assistance to Armenia's rural development. There have been exchanges
of business delegations, the most
recent being the visit of a delegation from India's Gem and Jewelry
Export Promotion Council in
September 2006 and a team of IT
experts in August 2007. We are
also working on the visit of a delegation
sponsored
by
the
Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) to Armenia in the near future.
India offers every year training
scholarships to Armenians in India
in different sectors and these are
fully utilized. This year we expect
40 such scholarships under the
Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation program sponsored by
the Ministry of External Affairs of
India to be utilized by Armenia.
Culturally, there have been several exchanges which include
Armenians going to India to study
Hindi language, classical dance,
Yoga, etc.
- When I visited India in 1992,
I was astonished to learn that the
country of 800 million people did
not import foodstuffs. And today
analysts predict that by 2050
Brazil, Russia, India and China
(BRIC) would account for 44 percent of the world's GDP.
Armenians are curious to learn
the secret of such tremendous economic growth of a state only
recently considered as a developing country.
- After Independence in 1947
for several decades India followed
a kind of socialist mixed economy
dominated by the public sector.
But in the 1990s, the government
of India changed track and ushered
in reforms, encouraged private
enterprise and the entry of the
multinational corporations into
India. There has been an enormous
impact of the IT revolution on the
Indian economy. Computers and
satellite TVs have changed the
mindsets of more and more people
across the towns and villages of
India. It is a familiar sight to see
growing numbers of the Indian
population
wielding
mobile
phones, driving cars and chatting in
R. Pandey with Armenian children
(a boy behind Ambassador, left - her grandson Shridhar)
Mrs Pandey with her mother, Mrs Juby and husband Dr A.K. Pandey
cyber cafes. The second generation of reforms is now underway in
India and there is no going back.
The industrial base has widened
and India produces anything - from
a needle to a spaceship!
Agriculture is one of the most
prominent sectors in the Indian
economy and accounts for 20% of
the GDP and between 60 to 70% of
the country's population is engaged
in agriculture and allied sectors.
After Independence, considering
India's growing population, the
Government took steps to increase
the food production. In the 1970s
the Green Revolution in the country led to huge increases in Indian
agricultural production. From a
country dependent on imports of
food grains, today India has a huge
buffer stock of grains and exports
food grains to 60 countries.
Reasons for the growth are the special emphasis placed on agriculture
and steady improvements in irrigation, technology, application of
modern agricultural practices,
biotechnology and provision of
agricultural credit and subsidies.
- What did you know about our
country and its people prior to
your arrival, and what can you say
today, after serving more than a
year and a half as Ambassador
here?
Prior to my arrival in Armenia,
I did know something about the
country because I am deeply interested in world history and geography. My entire university education was in Chennai (Madras) and
we were all familiar with the
Armenian Street there. During my
tenure in Istanbul I knew Armenian
people. My predecessor here
Ambassador Deepak Vohra was
also a valuable source of information. Half way through my tenure
in Yerevan as Ambassador I am
deeply touched by the sincerity of
the affection that the people of
Armenia display towards me
because I am an Indian. I can sense
the regard they have for my country, its culture and traditions.
- As far as we know, Your
Excellency is an active member of
the DSA (Diplomats' Spouses
Association). What can you tell us
about your social and charitable
activities in Armenia in general?
- I wish I were more of an
active member of the Diplomats'
Spouses Association. My duties as
an Ambassador have not enabled
me to take more active participation in the DSA. I am however
aware of their activities and our
Embassy has participated in a humble way in contributing to its charitable activities through the DSA
annual bazaar. The Association led
by Dr Nani Oskanian is doing
tremendous social and charitable
work. I have had the pleasure of
participating for two years in the
activities on the International
Children's Protection Day on the
1st of June in Dilijan.
- Indian students in Armenia
form one of the most numerous
groups of foreign students. In
your view, how do they feel here?
- There is a sizeable number of
medical students from India in the
Yerevan State Medical University
and their growing numbers indicate
the level of comfort they feel here.
- Non-political side of the
diplomats' lives is of general interest to our readers. Could you tell
about yourself, your family, your
leisure?
- I live in Yerevan with my husband and my mother. My husband
keeps commuting between Delhi
and Yerevan. We enjoy the pace of
life here and the distinct change in
the seasons. We relish the fruits,
particularly at this time of the year
and swear by the Armenian apricot.
Picnics here offer a special flavor.
The sizes and shapes of the mountains all around are fascinating. We
enjoy driving out to distant monasteries or to the riverside and enjoy
a leisurely cup of tea or an ice
cream or khorovats. All three of us
enjoy entertaining people at our
home. We have also encouraged
many of our friends to visit us and
enjoy Armenia. In June, my daughters and grandchildren were here
and shared our happiness.
- And what Your Excellency
would like to add to our conversation?
- This year marks the 15th
anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between India
and Armenia and we hope to celebrate it in a befitting manner. We
are in the process of exchanging
cultural troupes. I am confident
that the bilateral relations between
India and Armenia can only get
deeper and stronger with the passage of years.
Acknowledgement:
Ms Lilit Simonian
ECONOMY
www.nt.am
125 experts from
25 countries to take part
in symposium on
microelectronics in Yerevan
By Samvel Sargsian
The 5th symposium on microelectronics IEEE EWDTS 2007
will be held in Yerevan on
September 7-10. It has a 5-year history and was previosly held in
Yalta (twice) and Odessa (Ukraine)
and in the Russian city of Sochi.
Gayane Markosian, the symposium’s Armenian PR executive,
informed NT that 125 representatives of 25 countries will participate in the Yerevan symposium.
151 reports will be given at the
event: 24 experts of leading companies from such countries as the
US, the UK, Germany, Egypt,
Spain, Canada, Russia, Ukraine,
Romania, Italy, India and Brazil
will present recent achievements of
the sector.
The main purpose of the symp-
sium is to exchange experience of
specialists and scientists from
Eastern and Western Europe, North
America and other regions in such
fields as microchip and system
design, electronic design automation and testing.
The sponsor of the event is
IEEE Computer Society Test
Technology Technical Council
(TTTC), while the organizer is the
Kharkov National University of
Radioelectronics jointly with a
number of universities and organizations of Armenia, Tallinn, Kiev
and Moscow.
The event’s sponsors are the
world’s leading companies in electronic design automation and information technologies: Synopsys,
Cadence. Mentor Graphics, Virage
Logic, National Instruments, Intel,
EchoStar, and Intspel.
Armenian apricot garden
to be planted in India
The Armenian ambassador to
India Ashot Kocharian on August
16 met with India’s state minister
of agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria.
Issues related to the extension
of cooperation in the sphere of
agriculture were duscussed at the
meeting. Speaking about the
results of Bhuria’s visit to Armenia
in July, A. Kocharian reasserted
the Armenian government’s willingness to plant an Armenian apricot garden in India. Welcoming the
initiative of the Armenian nside,
the state minister Bhuria said that
this proposal will be put into practice by all means after Armenian
and Indian experts make a conclusion.
According to a press release
submitted to NT by the RA MFA
Press and Information Department,
the interlocutors also discussed the
perspective directions of cooperation: milk product processing, joint
scientific studies, exchange of
plants and seedlings, and training
of experts.
The state minister Bhuria said
that the Indian side will participate
in activities of the Organic Food
international forum to be held in
Armenia in October.
Viasphere Technopark ready
to implement pilot program
on production of solar
power stations
By Samvel Sargsian
Viasphere Technopark is ready
to start implementing the annual
pilot program on production of 5
solar power stations with the
capacity of 100 kilowatts each. The
director general of the technopark
Aram Vardanian told this during a
talk with NT correspondent.
In his words, the final goal is
production of solar power stations
with the total capacity of 100
megawatts a year, for which about
150 million dollars is needed in
order to replenish the missing
capacities of the production chain,
as well as to modernize the existing
production capacities. According
to A. Vardanian, sales of solar
power stations with the capacity of
100 kilowatts in international market are currently assessed at 400500 million dollars, with these
sales growing by 24-25% annually.
There is now great unmet demand
in this market.
A. Vardanian also said that
within a year the RA Public
Services Regulatory Commission
will approve the tariff of a kilowatt
of electricity generated by power
stations operating by solar power
transformation. In his words, the
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
9
Government takes desisions on
food security measures
At the August 16 sitting, the
Armenian government made
amendments in the RA government’s Decision No 1560-N on
Approval of Technical Regulations
on Meat and Meat Products of
October 19, 2006, which is in particular conditioned by the necessity
to bring the safety indices prescribed by the regulations into line
with sanitary and epidemiologic
rules and norms of the Hygienic
Requirements to the Safety of Food
Raw Material and Foodstuffs and
to the Food Value. The decision
also proceeds from the necessity to
make amendments, which are conditioned by the procedure of certifying the conformity and are in
compliance
with
legislative
requirements of the decision’s provisions.
In accordance with the RA
Water Code and the RA Law on the
National Water Program, the government decided to appoint the RA
ministry of agriculture as the
authorized state governance body
in charge of organization and
implementation of measures aimed
at preventing and eliminating the
harmful impact of river water. The
minister of agriculture was
instructed to submit, within three
months, a proposal to the RA government regarding measures to
ensure the use of powers stipulated
by the decision. The RA ministers
of territorial governance, urban
development and environmental
protection, and the chairman of the
State Committee of the Real Estate
Cadastre adjunct to the RA government were instructed to present,
within 15 days, the necessary information to the RA minister of agriculture and to assist with the work
on development of the program on
protection of settlements, areas of
economic value and citizens’ prop-
erty from the risk of river flooding.
At the sitting, the government
approved
the
Program
of
Geological Prospecting Work stipulated in the RA Law on the 2007
State Budget of the RA.
According to the RA Law on
International Agreements of the
RA, the government approved the
proposal for signing the Agreement
on Free Trade between the governments of Armenia and Egypt.
By another decision, amendments and additions were made, in
accordance with the RA Law on
Archival Activity, in the RA government’s Decision No 351 on
Approval of the Exemplary List of
Archival
Documents
with
Indication of Their Retention
Period of March 9, 2006, which is
also conditioned by the necessity to
clarify the current legislation.
Particularly, taking into account
the fact that limitation of actions
does not apply to the requests about
return of deposits that depositors
file to banks. These amendments
and additions have also been made
due to the fact that the currently
prescribed period of keeping bank
documents about deposits is not
sufficient in case of demanding
these deposits.
The governrment approved the
bill on making an amendment to
the RA Law on State Registration
of Property Rights, which will be
submitted to the National
Assembly. Adoption of the bill is
conditioned by the necessity to
specify the provision on period of
state registration of rights, which is
stipulated by the indicated law.
In accordance with the RA Law
on Legal Acts, the government
made an amendment to the RA
government’s Decision No 1112-N
on Approval of the Order of
Transferring Students from One
Higher Educational Institution to
Another of July 14, 2005, based on
which such a transfer may be done
without permission of the RA minister of education and science. The
decision will increase autonomy of
higher educational institutions and
allow to make efficient and independent decisions on transfer of
students from one higher educational institution to another.
The government made a decision to submit to the RA National
Assembly the amended version of
the package consisting of the bill
on making amendments and additions to the RA Law on Circulation
of Poisonous Substances and
Explosive Suvstances and Devices,
the bill on making amendments and
additions to the RA law on State
Duty and the bill on making
amendments to the RA Law on
Licensing.
By another decision, the government approved the governmenal
conclusions about several bills submitted on deputies’s initiative these conclusions will be presented
to the RA NA.
The government approved the
temporary schemes of using the
lands of the Vagharshapat city
community (Armavir region) and
the Hankavan rural community
(Kotayk region). Decision were
made to change the categories of
these lands, as well as of lands in
the Nor Geghi rural community of
Kotayk region.
NT was informed from the RA
Government Information and PR
Department that in accordance
with the RA Law on Civil Service,
the government made a decision to
appoint Armen Shahnazarian the
head of the staff of the RA Ministry
of Finance and Economy.
Housing prices grow by 23.5% in Yerevan
By Kristine Vardanian
Out of 7,029 transactions on
sale of real estate in Yerevan in
January-June 2007, 4,698 transactions were conducted with respect
to apartments of residential buildings. According to the RA National
Statistical Service, the number of
sales of residential buildings’
apartments in Yerevan grew only
by 0.5% as compared with the
same period of last year.
The average market price of
one square meter of residential
buildings’ apartments in Yerevan
made 241.3 thousand drams (about
690 dollars) in the first six months
of 2007, increasing by 23.5% as
compared with the same months of
2006.
The highest index of average
market prices of a square meter of
residential buildings’ apartments in
Armenian marzes (regions) was
registered in the city of Abovian
(Kotayk region) - 134.4 thousand
drams in January-June 2007, while
the lowest index - 3,000 drams was
registered in the city of Shamlugh
(Lori region).
As for residential houses
(detached houses), 3,831 transactions on their alienation were conducted in Armenia in January-June
2007, including 774 transactions in
Yerevan. The number of sales of
detached houses grew by 13.3% as
compared with the same period of
last year.
2,964 of the above transactions
were sales, 845 were donations,
and
22
transactions
were
exchanges.
The average market price of a
square meter of detached houses in
Yerevan made 245.8 thousand
drams (about 700 US dollars) in
January-June 2007. The highest
market prices of a square meter of
detached houses in marzes was registered in the city of Abovian
(Kotayk region) - 138.7 thousand
drams, while the lowest prices
were registered in the city of
Shamlugh (Lori region) - 5,100
thousand drams.
Aram Vardanian
cost of a kilowatt of electricity generated by solar power plants in the
US and Europe is 52 eurocents
(about 200 drams) which is a high
cost for Armenia. (In Armenia, the
state purchases a kilowatt of electricity generated by wind energy
for 32 drams from wind power
plants, it purchases electricity of
hydropower plants - for 7 drams).
Thus, according to A.
Vardanian, in case of operation of
solar power plants with the small
total capacity, generation of solar
energy will be in fact subsidized. In
case of increasing the capacities of
solar power generation, the cost
price of this power will decline,
and enhancing the efficiency of
solar power generation will also be
conducive to it.
Hovhannes Tumanian
The great Humanist and Philosopher
Reconciling East and West
Wisdom that guides us From
Childhood to Old Age
Great Master of Fairy Tales
Most Famous Armenian
and His Wonderful Museum
Over 10,000 Exhibits
Largest Personal Library, after Those
of Tolstoy and Goethe, with more than
8,000 Exclusive Publications
Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am 4:00pm
Sunday 11:00am - 3:30pm
40 Moskovian Street, Yerevan, Phone: 56-00-21, 58-12-71
20 August #688 Š 2007
10
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
ECONOMY
www.nt.am
Teghut Project: Arguments For and Against
from page 1
Š Pollution of river basin
Š Negative impact on health of
the population
Š Sharp decline in biodiversity
Š Destruction of cultural monuments, etc.
The Teghut issue became more
strained
after
the
State
Environmental Expert Commission
of
the
RA
Ministry
of
Environmental Protection arrived
at a positive conclusion about the
project on November 7, 2006.
There was an impression that
the public did not expect such a
step from the ministry but the then
minister of environmental protection of the RA Vardan Aivazian did
not conceal the fact that he was a
supporter of the project.
From that time the project was
subjected to public monitoring.
The compliance of the project with
national legislation underwent the
most thorough analysis. Three
experts, the expert in ecological
legislation Nazeli Vardanian, the
chairwoman of Social and
Ecological Association NGO
Srbuhi Harutyunian and the chairman of the Union of Greens of
Armenia Hakob Sanasarian came,
independently of each other, to the
conclusion
that
the
State
Environmental Expert Commission
gave its conclusion groundlessly,
in violation of several dozen provisions of the RA Law on Expert
Examination of Environmental
Impact. In their opinion, the proposed project does not meet the
requirements on ecological security
of the country, while the assessment of the possible damage does
not reflect the actual amount of this
damage.
Responding to public questions, the minister of environmental protection Vardan Aivazian
used to give answers like: "All
requirements to the company are
stated in the conclusion of the State
Expert Commission, and if the
company does not fulfill them, the
agreement with the government
will not be signed… "There is
nothing bad in it, besides, we will
get new jobs and additional revenues to the budget …" and finally
… "This is a political decision."
It was the reference to a "political decision" that made the public
act through political channels. The
main arguments were given in the
letter to the Armenian President
Robert Kocharian of February 19,
2007. In this appeal, NGOs united
under the slogan 'SOS - Teghut" to
request to end activities on the
Teghut project.
20 August #688 Š 2007
The following month the discussion of the project continued at
a meeting with the head of Vallex
Group Valery Mejlumian, the first
deputy minister of environmental
protection Simon Papian, and the
director of Armenian Copper
Company Gagik Arzumanian, as
well as at various press conferences, television talk shows, and
correspondent in an exclusive
interview that in this way ATP
responded to the SOS -Teghut
appeal. "We are in favor of the
Teghut issue being thoroughly
examined and a really independent
assessment of both the environmental damage and the economic
benefits being given," he said. He
expressed an opinion that a bal-
Arguments of the Project
Supporters. Vallex Group was not
slow with its answer to the Action
Alert. A letter of ACP director
Gagik Arzumanian containing
some arguments in favor of the
project appeared in SOS Teghut's
information network on June 22.
Let us cite some of these arguments. The letter indicated eco-
round tables. During debates it
became clear the ministry of environmental protection did not intend
to use public support regarding the
Teghut issue. Quite the opposite,
some officials close to the minister
began to put obstacles in the way of
the NGOs opposing the Teghut
project.
Did it happen as a result of
pressure or not but the impression
was that the coalition SOS Teghut
was breaking up. However, in reality, there was a temporary silence
due to the parliamentary elections
held in May 2007. After the formation of the new government and the
appointment of the new minister of
environmental protection Aram
Haroutiunian, the non-profit organization Armenia Tree Project
(ATP, Boston, US) announced the
start of the Action Alert on June 21.
Arguments of the Project
Opponents. The executive director of ATP Jeff Masarjian told NT
anced approach should be taken to
the problem of tapping mineral
resources. "We have no intention to
hinder the economic development
of Armenia. But we want the economic development not to cause
damage to the environment and
leave deserts behind. Armenia's
wealth and resources belong to its
people and future generations," Jeff
Masarjian stated.
In his words, representatives of
the Diaspora, who cooperate with
Armenia in many directions, want
to see Armenia as a country that
develops in a sustainable way,
without detriment to the environment. "ATP is prepared to cooperate on this issue with all parties
concerned, first of all, with the
Armenian government. We express
confidence that the new government will make a correct decision
and leave a prosperous Armenia for
children and future generations,"
ATP director noted.
nomic benefits, particularly, as a
result of developing the Teghut
deposit, copper extraction in
Armenia will increase 2.5 fold,
molybdenum extraction by 25%.
G. Arzumanian expressed regret
that the deposit's development may
be done only by the open-cut
method, as a result of which considerable forestland has to be cut
down. The letter gives an assessment of apprehended damage from
the Teghut forest's cutting down as
compared with illegal felling volumes. In putting forward the main
argument showing that the project
is in line with the national legislation on environmental protection,
Arzumanian, in particular, points
out at:
Š the assessment of environmental impact presented in the project
Š public hearings held by the
company in March 2006 and
October 2006
Š the officially recorded positive
attitude of local communities to
the project
Š the positive conclusion of the
State Environmental Expert
Commission.
Then the letter describes the
planned measures aimed at reducing negative consequences from
the expected activities on the
Teghut project. The main ones are:
the closed reversible cycle of water
use and tree planting.
G. Arzumanian also addresses
the problem of emissions from
Armenian Copper Program CJSC
(the Alaverdi enterprise) and health
of the local population. Thus, in the
opinion of the author of the letter,
before speaking about damage to
health of the local population, it is
necessary to make a careful analysis of the impact of all factors and
only then to draw the respective
conclusions. The text of the letter is
available at the website of ACP,
www.copper.am
What is the Future of the
Teghut Project? The new minister
Aram Haroutiunian started his
activities with familiarizing himself with ecological "hot spots".
The visit to Alaverdi and Teghut
was one of his first visits after taking the office. He also carried out a
reshuffle. Among others, Ashot
Santrosian - the head of the State
Environmental Expert Commission
who made the positive conclusion
about the Teghut project was dismissed from his post. Then a meeting with NGos took place, during
which the minister stated that he
intended to transfer all actions concerning Teghut into a legal plane.
Armenian Copper Company
worked out a new plan on management of environmental protection
measures in Teghut and discussed
it at a meeting with ecological
NGOs.
And there was a lull again.
What will happen to Teghut, if the
"green light" to the project lit at the
tenure of Vardan Aivazian has not
yet gone out? Until now the dubious positive conclusion of the State
Environmental Expert Commission
has not been withdrawn. There are
no necessary written conclusions of
those ministries and departments
(Ministry
of
Agriculture,
Armforest, Ministry of Health,
Ministry of Culture, to name but a
few) which are direct parties interested.
It is not ruled out that taking
into account the Armenian prime
minister's statement that the country sets its course for development
of the Earth's bowels, a new Teghut
stage will not be slow to start.
HOME
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
11
He is Diaspora in Homeland and
Homeland in Diaspora
from page 4
the elucidation of theoretical and historical issues of the religion science
and theology. The published works
include: “The interpretation of the
Lord’s Prayer” (420 pages), “Early
Christianity in Armenia.” He
received a doctor’s degree on
Theology in the United States of
America in 1998. When working at
the “Interpretation of the Lord’s
Prayer”
monography,
Gevorg
Kherlopian strove to unite the
achievements of modern science
with the centuries-old traditions of
the Armenian classic theology. In
some sense, this book can be regarded as an interpretation of the Lord’s
Prayer according to the national classic traditions, which, naturally, make
an indivisible part of the Cristian
way of thinking as a whole.
The “Science of Genocide” 405page monography by Gevorg
Kherlopian appeared in Beirut in
2005. According to the auther, it was
dedicated to “the eternal memory of
all those people, who lived, created,
loved, dreamt, and died with great,
noble ideas, which are pleasing to
God and devoted to the homeland,
who mixed their thought, soul, work,
sweat, blood, and precepts with the
Armenian land so that the Armenian
land and an Armenian become indivisible, so that the Armenian land
speaks forever. Those, who are currently denying the Armenian
Genocide, are striving to reduce the
call of the Armenian land to silence,
as well as neutralize the capacity of a
modern Armenian to listen and
understand this call. The modern science of genocide will first of all
overcome this danger.” The birth of
the book is natural as like thousands
of Diasporan-Armenian children, the
author himself grew in the hearth of
the realization of the Armenian
Request and recognition of the fact
of the Armenian Genocide committed by Turks.
Gevorg Kherlopian worked as a
professor
in
Yerevan
State
University, Haigazian University in
Beirut, El Salvador University in
Buenos Aires, Wayne State university in Detroit, the “USA” University
in La Verne. He headed the department of the history of philosophy in
YSU, the department of Armenology
in the University of La Verne and the
Haigazian University of Beirut. He
also held the office of the Rector of
the “Vanadzor” teacher-training
institute of Kirovakan.
In the evidence of the students of
Dr. Gevorg Kherlopian, there have
never been free seats in his auditoriums in Armenia, as well as in foreign
colonies: “In this way is the patriotic,
philantropic teacher, suffering from a
professional pedantry, the lecturer,
the publicist, the scientific worker,
and, finally, the confirmed scientist
engraved upon our memory,” one of
them said.
Dr. Gevorg Kherlopian has been
awarded a St. Sahak and St. Mesrop
order by His Holiness Catholicos
Garegin I, as well as an Honorary
Doctor title by the University of La
Verne and a Letter of Appreciation
by U.S President W. Clinton. He has
also been awarded a silver medal by
Yerevan State University, a Mkhitar
Sebastatsi medal by the Mechitarist
Congregation of Venice, a Letter of
Appreciation by the Armenian
Apostolic Association of America,
diplomas
by
the
American
Association of Psychologists, by the
Chairmanship of the All-Union
Sociologists’ Association of the
Soviet Union, by the rectorate of
Yerevan State University, as well as
by other national and foreign organizations.
Let us wish bright horizons to
this scientist, devoted public figure,
and indomitable preacher of the
Gospel to the glory of the enrichment
of the Armenian cultural treasury, to
the glory of our dear people.
As a conclusion, I would like to
quote the words of Stephen Morgan,
the Chairman of the University of La
Verne, addressed to Dr. Gevorg
Kherlopian: “Your many accomplishments
have
significantly
strengthened education throughout
the world and you have certainly
brought great honor to Armenians
everywhere. We applaud you and
wish you many more years of outstanding service.”
American-Armenian benefactor Jirair
Hovnanian dies
from page 2
“I learnt about the death of Jirair
Hovnanian with great sorrow.
Jirayr Hovnanian, being the representative of the benefactor
Hovnanians, was a deserving continuer of Armenian charitable traditions, who promoted a productive
activity both in his homeland and in
the Diaspora.
I present my condolences to the
Hovnanians and their relatives.”
Arkadi Ghukasian, the President
of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh, has also sent a letter of
condolence to the family of Jirair
Hovnanian.
Jirair Hovnanian was born to an
Armenian refugee family in the city
of Kirkuk in Iraq. He immigrated
into the United States of America in
1948. In 1952 he graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania. He and
his three brothers formed Hovnanian
Brothers corp. in 1959, which has
built over six thousand buildings
since then.
Famous painter Rudolf
Khachatrian dies
Famous
Armenian
painter
Rudolf Khachatrian died at the age of
70 during the heart surgery in
Germany. He was born in Yerevan in
1937 and lived in Moscow since
1971. He created in the spheres of
painting and drawing. He has created portraits, still lives, landscape
paintings. He was awarded a bronze
medal on the exhibition of the Youth
and Students’ seventh world festival
in Vienna in 1959 and a gold medal
at the first Biennale of the
Transcaucasian republics. He had
individual exhibitions in Moscow,
Saint Petersburg, Odessa, and
Yerevan.
According to the information
provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, Robert
Kocharian, the RA President, sent a
letter of condolence to the
Austrian Business Jet
By private jet to your scheduled flight
Do you travel all over the globe?
Enjoy Austrian Business Class service on your long-haul flights? From
now on, perfect service starts right
at your nearest airfield - no matter
whether it's a far-flung airport in
Russia or a regional airport in
Austria. A comfortable Business Jet
with first-class service picks you up
whenever you desire and transfers
you quickly and directly to your
Business Class flight with Austrian
Airlines. No tiresome waiting,
lengthy transits or repeated checking
in.
Our Service
High-comfort travel arranged to suit your individual needs
As a Business Class passenger
with Austrian Business Jet you're in
the best hands right from the very
start of your trip: from simple booking via the Austrian Business Jet
Service hotline, to a fast feeder
flight by luxurious Business Jet, to
direct transfer to the Austrian scheduled flight to your final destination.Your time is precious to us.
Together
with
our
partner
JetAlliance we assure you fast, comfortable travel. All you have to do is
book at least 48 hours (Mon-Fri)
before your desired departure time a dedicated team will take care of
your flight, catering and transfer
arrangements, tailor-made to your
requirements. We calculate a precise
route and time schedule to ensure
your transfer time is as short as possible.
Exclusive transfer in ViennaYou've never seen so little of an
airport
As a Business Class
passenger with Austrian
Business Jet you're in the
best hands right from the
very start of your trip:
from simple booking via
the Austrian Business Jet Service
hotline, to a fast feeder flight by luxurious Business Jet, to direct trans-
fer to the Austrian scheduled flight to your final
destination.Your time is
precious to us. Together
with
our
partner
JetAlliance we assure you
fast, comfortable travel. All you
have to do is book at least 48 hours
(Mon-Fri) before your desired
departure time - a dedicated team
will take care of your flight, catering
and transfer arrangements, tailormade to your requirements. We calculate a precise route and time
schedule to ensure your transfer
time is as short as possible.
Onward travel in the new Austrian Business Class
After your Business
Jet flight the newly
designed
Austrian
Business Class awaits you
- a long-haul travel experience for all the senses.
Whether you're working, enjoying
our exquisite food, sleeping or
relaxing, countless well
thought-out details make
long-distance travel a
pleasure. In our new lieflat comfort seats you can
watch a film, listen to
music, read or dream, just like at
home, so you arrive at your destina-
tion fresh and relaxed. Our charming Austrian flight attendants look
after you with genuine attentiveness.
And of course your long-haul flight
will earn you the usual status miles
and HON Circle miles for our frequent flyer programme Miles &
More.
Your benefits at a glance
Convenient, flexible, all inclusive - we fly for you alone!
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Š
Convenient: available at short notice
Comfortable: Business Class comfort from the very first minute
Personal: individual service during your entire flight with Austrian Business Jet
Discreet: private atmosphere allows you to work undisturbed
Tailor-made: departure times according to your needs
Fast: short transfer in Vienna
Exclusive: the Vienna International Airport VIP Lounge and JETALLIANCE VIP Lounge for your own
personal use
On request: limousine service
Practical: a one-stop-shop for your entire trip with dedicated team and hotline
Attractive: all-inclusive set price including empty leg, catering, flyover fees, personal service and booking
arrangements
Lucrative: Austrian Business Jet flights count towards your corporate incentive programme
Booking and contacts
One call is all it takes: we take care of everything else
Š We book your Austrian Business Jet to connect perfectly to your Austrian Airlines Business Class flight to
one of our long-haul destinations
Š We organise your smooth premium-class transfer in Vienna
Š We're pleased to cater for any special requests.
Khachatrians on August 17.
Our specially trained team is at your service - we care.
You can reach us Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
by phone: (+43 1) 680 55 44 77
by fax: (+43 1) 680 55 44 78
or by e-mail: austrianbusinessjet@austrian.com
20 August #688 Š 2007
12
TIME-OUT
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
MARIA BETHANIA - THE VOICE
OF BRAZIL
Maria Bethânia, sister of
Caetano Veloso, is a renowned
singer on her own. Her scenic, dramatic abilities, in a profoundly
Brazilian tradition, make her performances quite personal, which
has brought her a massive and
faithful audience over the decades.
As a child, she wanted to be an
actress right from the start. But, as
her mother loved to sing, music
was always around. Her father was
not musically gifted, but loved to
listen to Dorival Caymmi and Noel
Rosa compositions. At 13, her family moved to Salvador, and she
began to frequent the "university
circles," intellectual groups gathering around art exhibitions and performances. The access to theater
plays strengthened her desire to
become an actress. At that time, a
novice Caetano Veloso had
become the musical partner of the
play director Álvaro Guimarães.
For Guimarães's short movie
Moleques de Rua, Veloso composed a soundtrack which should
have had, according to him, his sister singing in it. At 16, Bethânia
tried to refuse, as she had never
sung under such pressure. But
Guimarães loved her timbre, and
included her in his 1963 staging of
Nelson Rodrigues' musical Boca de
Ouro, where she performed a cappella. In the same year, they
became acquainted with Gilberto
Gil and Gal Costa. Next year,
Veloso was invited to organize a
Brazilian popular music show at
the opening of Salvador's Teatro
Vila Velha. The show, called Nós,
por Exemplo, included Veloso,
Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and
Gal Costa (still under her name
Maria da Graça). The show was a
success and was reenacted two
weeks later, with the addition of
Tom Zé (still presented as Antônio
José). The success was even bigger, and the group (without Zé)
soon presented another show, Nova
Bossa Velha, Velha Bossa Nova. In
that same year, Bethânia acted
alone in her musical Mora na
Filosofia, directed by Veloso and
Gil.
In January 1965, still a school
student earning bad grades, she
was surprised by the invitation to
substitute for Nara Leão, already
an established young singer who
had had a problem with her vocal
cords, in her highly successful
show Opinião. Bethânia's opening
on February 13, 1965, was very
successful, and her dramatic performance of "Carcará" (João do
Vale/José Cândido) launched her
as an overnight national success,
repeated during the São Paulo season. Because of the sucess,
Guilherme Araújo, then assistant
for Aluísio de Oliveira at the RCA
label, invited her, through Veloso,
to record for the label. In May of
that year, Bethânia recorded her
first single, and some months later,
her first LP. On September 26,
1965, the Vila Velha gang opened
the show Arena Canta Bahia, at
São Paulo's Teatro de Arena. In
April 1966, Bethânia, invited by
Guilherme Araújo, opened her
show Recital at the Cangaceiro
nightclub, in Rio. It also opened the
way for Guilherme Araújo to
become the manager of Veloso,
Gil, and Costa (receiving 20 percent for 70 of his songs, he would
be sued by Gil in 1992). She also
performed at the Barroco nightclub
(Rio). In the same year, Bethânia
performed in the show Pois É,
together with Gilberto Gil and
Vinícius de Moraes, at the Teatro
Opinião. In the following month,
October 1966, Bethânia performed
"Beira mar" (Caetano/Gil) at the I
FIC. In 1967, she recorded with
Edu Lobo the Elenco album Edu
Lobo e Maria Bethânia. Through
1970, she would also be featured in
the shows Yes, Nós Temos Maria
Bethânia (Teatro de Bolso, Rio),
Comigo Me Desavim (Teatro
Miguel Lemos, Rio), Recital Na
Boite Blow Up (São Paulo), and
Brasileiro Profissão Esperança
(Teatro Casa Grande, Rio).
In 1968, she performed on the
LP Veloso, Gil e Bethânia (RCA)
and the solo LP Recital na Boite
Barroco. In 1969 and 1970 respectively, Bethânia released the LPs
Maria Bethânia and Maria
Bethânia Ao Vivo. In 1971, she
recorded for Philips the LP A Tua
Presença. In July, backed by the
Terra Trio, she opened at Rio's
Teatro da Praia her show Rosa Dos
Ventos, which yielded a live album
under the same name, produced by
Roberto Menescal. In 1971, she
went to Europe and performed at
the MIDEM (Cannes, France), and
in Italy. Next year, she appeared,
together with Chico Buarque and
Nara Leão, in the film Quando o
Carvaval Chegar. The movie's
soundtrack was released in 1972 by
Philips. Bethânia wrote the lyrics
for Caetano Veloso's song
"Trampolim," released on her
album Drama. A European tour
through Italy, Germany, Austria,
Denmark, and Norway followed. In
1973, she opened her show Drama,
Luz da Noite, also recorded as an
album under the same title.
Commemorating the tenth year of
her career, she opened her show A
Cena Muda (1974), recorded and
20 August #688 Š 2007
released in November 1974. On
June 6, 1975, Bethânia performed
in a live show together with Chico
Buarque, recorded and released as
Chico Buarque e Maria Bethânia
Gravado ao Vivo no Canecão. In
1976, she recorded Pássaro
Proibido. In July, together with
Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and
Gal Costa, she toured Brazil with
the show Os Doces Bárbaros,
which yielded a film of the same
name by Jom Tob Azulay and a
double album released by Philips in
November 1976. On January 13,
1977, her show Pássaro da Manhã
opened, released as a studio LP
under the same title, which brought
her second gold record. In May
1978, Bethânia released, with
Veloso, a live show recorded in LP
as Maria Bethânia e Caetano
Veloso ao Vivo.
In 1978, the LP Álibi was
released (certified as a gold record
before hitting the streets, making
her the first Brazilian female singer
to reach one million sold copies),
producing a show with the same
name in July of the next year. In
December 1979, she released the
album Mel, which also brought the
show Mel in January 1980. The
same year came the LP Talismã. In
the next year, she opened her show
Estranha Forma de Vida and
released her album Alteza. In 1982,
Bethânia performed in the show
Nossos Momentos. In 1983, she
took another turn in her career with
the album Ciclo, branching out of
her popular formula toward a new
acoustic direction. In 1984, she
performed in her show A Hora da
Estrela, with songs especially written by Veloso and Chico Buarque.
The album A Beira e o Mar followed. In 1985, the show 20 Anos
opened. The next year, Bethânia
signed with RCA for the release of
Dezembros, which contained
unpublished songs by Tom Jobim,
Chico Buarque, and Caetano
Veloso,
and
"Canções
e
Momentos," written especially for
her by Milton Nascimento. In
1988, she recorded Maria, with
guest stars Jeanne Moreau and Gal
Costa, which also was the name of
her show which opened in that
year. In 1989, the album Memória
da Pele was released, and Bethânia
presented the show Dadaya -- As
Sete Moradas. Her 25th career
anniversary was commemorated
with the album and show 25 Anos,
with participation from Nina
Simone, Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto
Gismonti, João Gilberto, and others. In 1982, she released the album
Olho D'água, which was included
in a major soap opera's soundtrack.
Her 1993 album As Canções Que
Cocê Fez Para Mim, also a show,
was the best-selling record of that
year (1,500,000 copies sold). For
the label EMI/Odeon was recorded
the album Âmbar, and also a show
which was recorded live and
released in 1997 as Imitação da
Vida
TIME-OUT
www.nt.am
DID YOU KNOW?
Siamanto`s Poetry
(1878-1915)
A Handful of Ash
1943 at Hoegees Camp, in L.A.
County.
Of course, if you want to talk
being really wet, Cherrapunji in
northern India was inundated by an
incredible world record 1,042" in the
year spanning 1860-1861.
How about a quick "shower"?
Barot, Guadeloupe recorded 1 1/2"
of rain in 60 seconds, on Nov.26,
1970. Fussen, Bavaria also got wet in
a hurry, sloshing around in a hair
over five inches of rain in only 8
minutes, on May 25, 1920.
Splitting Hairs Over Spitting Lava
The largest volcano known is on
Mars: Olympus Mons, 370 miles
wide and 79,000 feet high, is almost
three times higher than Mount
Everest.
You'd think that asking the question "where is the highest volcano?"
would be relatively simple. But not
when you get into the geologists'
squabble, where they split hairs
about how you measure them and
from what point.
For
example,
Llullaillaco
(22,109'above sea level) in
Chile/Argentina, is deemed to be the
world's tallest and historically active
volcano, having erupted three times
in the last century. But less than
300km to the south is Ojos del
Salado, which at 22,595' above sea
level, shows fumaroles around the
ridge that indicate activity. It has
been surmised that the lack of historical record, is due to its isolated location, never having been seen and
written about. Then again, sometimes things were seen, that didn't
actually happen. Such as Charles
Darwin reporting during a voyage on
the ship Beagle, that he observed
Mount Aconcagua showing activity.
But Aconcagua is not a volcano,
merely a plain mountain, the highest
13
ARMENIAN POETRY
Rainy Daze
Heading by
Marina Harutiunyan
marina@nt.am
Comments are
welcomed!
In the Sahara Desert, there is a
town named Tidikelt, which did not
receive a drop of rain for ten years.
The Sahara Desert is a dry place,
but just how dry was shown in the
region of Tidikelt, a gravel-surfaced
section of south central Algeria,
where they once went for ten years
without a single drop of rain.
Technically though, the driest
place on Earth is in the valleys of the
Antarctic near Ross Island. There has
been no rainfall there for two million
years.
Reunion Island in the Indian
Ocean, is at the other end of the
scale. One day in 1952, it experienced a rainfall that when done,
totaled 74" over 24 hours. That kind
of outshines, or maybe outdrips, the
26.12" record for 24 hours, set in
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
in the Americas. It owes its height
not to lava, but imbricate thrust faulting.
Now, if you want to get truly
picky, you could say that Ojos del
Salado is the highest volcano above
sea level, but its height from the
base, is only about 6500'. The Mauna
Lao shield volcano comes up some
8500' short of Salado's sea level
height, but has a base that is ten times
Alas, you were a great and beautiful mansion,
And from the white summit of your roof,
Filled with star-flooded night hopes,
I listened to the Euphrates, racing below.
I learned with tears, with tears I learned of the ruins,
Of your broad walls battered down, stone by stone,
Onto your fragile border of flowers in the garden...
On a terror-filled day, a day of slaughter, of blood.
And charred is the blue room
Inside whose walls, on whose rugs
My childhood delighted,
And where my life grew, where my soul grew.
That gold-framed mirror is shattered, too,
In whose silver depth my dreams,
My hopes, my loves and my burning will
Stood reflected for years, and my musings.
And in the garden the spring song is dead,
The mulberry and the willow there, they have been blasted, too,
And the brook that flowed between the treesHas it gone dry? Tell me, where is it? Has it gone dry?
O I often dream of the cage
From which my gray partridge, mornings
And at sunrise, fronting the rose trees,
Would rise, as I did, and start its own distinct cooing.
O my homeland, promise that after my death
A handful of your holy ashes
Will come to rest, like an exiled turtledove,
To chant its song of sorrow and tears.
But who will bring, tell me, who is to bring
A handful of your precious ashes,
On the day of my death, to put into my dark coffin
And mingle with my ashes, ashes of a singer of the homeland?
A handful of ash with my remains, my native homeWho is to bring a handful of ash from your ashes,
From your sorrow, your memories, your past,
A handful of ash to scatter on my heart?
taller.
Of course, if you want a really
big volcano, you'd have to look to the
planet Mars. There you'll find
Olympus Mons, the largest volcano
known anywhere. The peak rises
approximately 14.9 miles into the
frigid Martian atmosphere. The
ridged slope that drops down from
the peak is nearly 340 miles wide.
CROSSWORD
Across
1. European short-winged hawk (7)
5. Type of duck (5)
7. Young male horses (5)
8. Middle East riding horse (4)
9. Porcupine (8)
11. Nocturnal wildcat (6)
13. Dog house (6)
16. Snake (8)
17. Crustacean (4)
20. Viper (5)
21. Aquatic predator (5)
22. Adult male chicken (7)
Answer of previous
crossword
Down
1. Bison (7)
2. African equine (5)
3. Simians (4)
4. Burro (6)
6. Mahimahi (7)
7. Young swan (6)
10. Large flying bird (6)
12. Anteater (7)
14. Shellfish (7)
15. Musteline mammal (6)
18. Bird shelter (5)
19. Extinct bird (4)
20 August #688 Š 2007
14
TIME-OUT
www.nt.am
The Noyan Tapan Highlights
Zodiac Weekly Forecast
Aries
(Mar. 20 - Apr. 19):
Leo
(July 21 - Aug 22):
Saturn is departing your
sign and it will be a relief.
You have spent the past
cycle working toward
redefining who you want
to become in the world. However you
may have done it, the probability is that
it was costly in more ways than one.
You know how much you have grown
and changed through this valuable education.
Taurus
(Apr. 20 - May 19):
Virgo
(Aug. 22 - Sep. 22):
Gemini
(May 20 - June 20)
Your creative works are
on display and others are
impressed. Those Twins
who would like a job in
which their skills are recognized have probably accomplished
it. Your attention will soon turn to
making home, hearth, and family more
secure. Work in the world will become
less important. You will want to clean
out the clutter of your life.
Cancer
(June 21 - July 21):
You are departing a
three year period in
which you had concerns about money and
resources, even if the
problems were more related to the
career structure than self. But you
made a significant investment for the
future and now your resources will
begin to return to you. Saturn investments always grow with time.
Capricorn
(Dec. 21 - Jan. 19):
For nearly three years
you have been in the
background.
Your
career or outer life was
somehow moved to the
sidelines. Many have chosen to spend
the time in rest and restoration of the
self. Some have pursued spiritual practices and others may have taken up a
study that demanded withdrawal from
the world at large. Emergence comes
soon.
The recent Saturn cycle has taught you
a lot about managing
money and personal
resources. You will soon
shift in the direction of
strengthening your philosophy. You will have ample opportunity to clarify what you believe about
where you are headed. Philosophy and
practicality must come together for
you.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20 - Feb. 17):
Libra
(Sep. 23 - Oct. 22):
A doctor of psychology was
doing his normal morning rounds
when he entered a patient's room.
He found Patient #1 sitting on the
floor, pretending to saw a piece of
wood in half.
Patient #2 was hanging from
the ceiling, by his feet.
The doctor asked patient number 1 what he was doing. The
patient replied, "Can't you see I'm
sawing this piece of wood in half?"
The doctor inquired of Patient #1
what Patient #2 was doing. Patient
#1 replied, "Oh. He's my friend, but
he's a little crazy. He thinks he's a
lightbulb." The doctor looks up and
YOU ARE
You may be completing
a period of education and
preparation for a new
title in your career or life
direction. Perhaps you
have been traveling for
the sake of business, or seeking mastery in some other way. If you love
what you do, then you are on the verge
of a leap ahead. If you are unhappy,
then your doorway to change directions comes soon.
NOT
IMMORTAL
CALL TODAY
MOB. PHONE (091) 46 43 20
neola@usa.com
c
WHAT? WHEN? WHERE?
Aug 15, at 6:30 pm
Armenian Folk Songs and Dances
Soloist: Susanna Safarian
Featuring "Husher" Dance
Ensemble
Artistic Director: Edgar Avetisian
Your partnership(s) and
marriage have undergone trials by fire and
water in the last three
years. The overall "project" was to redefine
why you needed the partnership and
build the new foundation for the future.
Some have chosen to leave previous
relationships. Others have recreated
their structure.
ARAM KHACHATRIAN
CONCERT HALL
Scorpio
(Oct. 23 - Nov. 21):
Pisces
(Feb. 18 - Mar. 19):
You have completed a
period of mastery in
career or life direction.
Now you will be recognized for it. The community you have developed is a fine
resource. Those who are literally promoted will learn quickly who is truly a
friend. You are walking into "payback"
time for all your hard efforts of the past
decade.
The past three years has
been a time of apprenticeship.
You have
honed your skills and
your efficiency to as fine
an art as you can create.
It has also been an important period for
tending to the needs of your body, as
the vehicle for the mind/spirit. In the
next phase you will encounter a greater
level of responsibility.
Aug 16, at 7 pm
"My Mother-in-Law" by V.
Kotoyan
Artistic Director: Yervand
Ghazanchian
notices Patient #2's face is going all
red.
The doctor asks Patient #1, "If
he's your friend, you should get
him down from there before he
hurts himself"
Patient #1 replies, "What? And
work in the dark?"
Feel better now
Mary was having a tough day
and had stretched herself out on the
couch to do a bit of what she
thought to be well-deserved complaining and self- pitying.
She moaned to her mom and
brother, "Nobody loves me ... the
whole world hates me!"
Enjoy your leisure
ARNO BABAJANIAN
CONCERT CONCERT HALL
Many Librans are slipping out the back door
of social or community
obligations. Any activities of this type must an
inherent value, beyond the political, if
you are to give them energy hereafter.
Some will choose to go into relative
seclusion in order to become closer to
inner guidance and spirit.
HUMOR
Crazy people talk
MASSAGE
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22 - Dec. 20):
You are completing an
important period of creative development. You
have been concentrating
on the evolution of a part
of yourself that wants to grow and be
recognized. (It is also possible that you
had a a more literal baby.) Now you
will be moving toward a time of
apprenticeship in which you hone your
new skills.
The last three years have
been focused on home,
hearth and family. You
may have had responsibility for elderly family
friends or relatives. The
time has been one in which you had to
focus more attention on personal concerns than career and life development.
The tide is changing. You can already
feel it.
SENSUAL
Finish the start
H.PARONIAN STATE
THEATRE MUSICAL
COMEDY
Aug 17, at 7 pm
"Paghdasar Aghbar" by H.
Paronian
Aug 18, at 7 pm
"The Deeds of Khanum" by A.
Tsagareli
Aug 15, at 2 pm
Episode 10 - Ancient Jerusalem
Aug 11, at 11 am
Episode 9 - Carthage
So far today, I have finished
two bags of chips and a chocolate
cake.
I feel better already.
Aug 18, 19 at 12 pm
The Best French Short Films of
YEZEGUELIAN
ASTRAL CLUB
Aug 13, 14 at 9:30 pm
Arto Tunçboyaciyan and
Armenian Navy Band
Aug 15, at 9 pm
Vostan Hayots /rock/
Aug 16, at 9 pm
Vahagn Hayrapetyan Trio /jazz/
Aug 17, at 9pm
Artsruni Progressive Music
Project
Aug 18, at 9 pm
Roxygen /hard rock/
Aug 19, at 9 pm
Crossroads /blues/
VAZGEN SARGSYAN
STADIUM
Aug 18, at 9 pm
Opening Ceremony of the 4th
Pan-Armenian Games
Aug 15, at 1 pm
Episode 9 - Carthage
My therapist told me the way to
achieve true inner peace is to finish
what I start.
APPARTEMENTS - RESIDENCES - Ouverts toute l’annee
Aug 18, 19 at 2 pm
The Work of Director Michel
Gondry
STOP MUSIC CLUB
Aug 14, at 8 pm
Ruben Hakhverdyan - Recital
NATIONAL GALLERY OF
ARMENIA
Her brother, busily occupied
playing a game, hardly looked up
at her and passed on this encouraging word: "That's not true, Mary.
Some people don't even know
you."
2003 - 2007
c
Information from www.armeniainfo.am
For ticket reservation you may call: 52-64-77 or (091) 50-16-63
Ticket reservation and delivery is FREE.
Quote of the day
EREVAN - CENTRE
RESIDENCE RENCO II dans PARK
HOTEL CONGRESS
Location meublee avec cuisine tel. TV
climatisation-Location Minimum 2
semaines $ 550
The
Noah’s Ark
HIGHLIGHTS
Weekly Newspaper
Since May 4, 1993, Yerevan, Armenia
8 M.KHORENATSI - YEREVAN 375010
Tel. (093) 672452, (091) 739191,
(091) 570170.
Bureau - 34 av.Champs-Elysees
75008 PARIS
Tel.33/01 43596581,mob.0663542230
E-mail: yezeguelian@aol.com
General Director of the Noyan Tapan:
Tigran Haroutiunian
Director of the Weekly:
Marina Harutiunyan
Editor-in-Chief of the Noyan Tapan:
Gayaneh Arakelian
Proof-Reader:
Susanna Mkrtchian
Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly:
Haroutiun Khachatrian
Lay-out:
Victor Dishchegenian
!
Patience is waiting.
Not passively waiting.
That is laziness. But to keep
going when the going is hard
and slow - that is patience."
INFORMATION AND ARTICLES
by Noyan Tapan News Agency
PHOTOGRAPHS
by Noyan Tapan TV Studio
ADS & NEWSPAPER DESIGN
by Noyan Tapan Advertising Agency
PRINTING
by Noyan Tapan Publishing House
The publisher: Noyan Tapan LTD,
28 Isahakian Str., Yerevan, 0009
Republic of Armenia
Registration certificate and the date:
273.110.00512, 15.12.1995
Circulation: 1000 copies
Tel.: (37410) 56-59-65, Fax:(37410) 52-43-18
E-mail: contact@nt.am
URL: www.nt.am
ISSN 1829-0604
20 August #688 Š 2007