Armenia: Politics, Economy, Education

by David Zenian Even with the best of intentions, the simplest problems are sometimes the most difficult to resolve. Old habits, personal or social, do not disappear as easily as political systems or economic orders. When making decisions, officials often function with the same suspicion of novelty as the old guard.

by David Zenian YEREVAN - Iranian Chargé d'Affaires Bahram Ghasemi is curious about what the United States thinks of his government's newly-acquired role as "the most active negotiator" in the bloody conflict over Nagorno Karabagh. Ghasemi could ask his U.S. counterpart Tom Price over breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Hrazdan Hotel where both have their temporary embassies and residences, but he cannot.

by AGBU News "It's not for the faint-hearted," explains Rouben Terzian. Establishing the ArmenToy joint venture in Armenia two years ago, the company has had to face the collapse of the Soviet Union, sky-rocketing inflation, shortage of energy and the never-ending problems of transportation.

by David Zenian YEREVAN - Independent Armenia is facing the perils of a market economy and once-unfamiliar problems like inflation, budget deficit, layoffs and unemployment with great determination and resolve. The road is hard, and some critics are already openly blaming the government of President Levon Ter Petrossian for the nation's post-independence problems, the deterioration of public services, and the general decline in the standard of living.

by Louise Manoogian Simone "A friend and I had the idea of opening a take-out dolma (stuffed cabbage) store but after a while we thought, how much dolma can people eat?" Instead, Artur Moughnetzian, an opera singer by profession, opened "Dzorakugh" restaurant on Baronian Street two years ago. Designed to resemble an old Armenian house, the restaurant attracts foreign visitors and locals alike with its high quality service and good food.

by Louise Manoogian Simone Set off by a fire at the Abovian Military Depot about 18 kilometers from the center of Yerevan, hundreds of exploding missiles and rockets threatening the lives of residents, shot into the sky at 12:30 AM, April 9th. Government officials, mobilizing quickly and efficiently, ordered trucks with bull horns through the streets alerting the residents to turn on their televisions for information.

by AGBU News Raffi Hovannisian - Foreign Minister of Armenia Opening Armenian embassies in the United States, England and soon Canada, Argentina, France, Germany, Lebanon and Central Asia, welcoming the arrival of Foreign Ambassadors in Yerevan, negotiating international relations, exchanges and bilateral agreements, Raffi Hovannisian, a California attorney, has been on a non-stop tour of the world since his appointment as Foreign Minister six months ago.

by David Zenian Dr. Ara Babloyan has the distinction of performing the first kidney transplant in Armenia. The operation took place in late 1991, with an assisting Swiss team of surgeons and nurses and a kidney flown in from St. Petersburg.

by AGBU News

by AGBU News The Mkhitar Sepastia School on the outskirts of Yerevan is a fine example of democracy on the move. Creative arts, computers, a video studio, colorful murals on the walls and the smiling faces of children give confidence that the educational system in Armenia can develop a new energized generation.

by Louise Manoogian Simone It was only a few years ago when the doors of the Araratian Diocese in Yerevan were locked shut at 5 p.m. All religious institutions were subjected to severe scrutiny by the Soviet government with only a small percentage of the population daring to be baptized, married or buried in the church. Clergy were not allowed to visit the sick in hospitals or even dress as clergy outside of the church.

by David Zenian YEREVAN - If teaching is difficult, imagine a situation where you have to erase what has become second nature to generations of youngsters born and raised under the shadow of communist ideology. "We are not out to teach anti-communist propaganda. People are already fed up with communism. What we are trying to do is establish a new learning process which brings out the best in today's youth," says Lena Mardirossian, an English-language teacher at School Number 114 in central Yerevan.

by AGBU News Three hundred scientists and three hundred technicians and laborers are employed at the Mnjoyan Factory in Yerevan. Relying on raw materials from Russia and Eastern Europe, the lack of supplies and the demand for foreign currency has just about stopped production. Producing Gangleron, Quateron, Fubromegan, Arpenal, Mesphinal, Etpenal, Ditlin and Subecholine for hypertension, heart problems and some forms of cancer, Mnjoyan was exporting a portion of their products to other republics in the former Soviet Union.

by Daloni Carlisle STEPANAGERD - On Monday, April 13, 1992, Artur Mkrtchian, the President of the Nagorno Karabagh Parliament, sat with a solemn face and told his visitors of the pain it caused him to discuss his people's suffering at the hands of their enemies. On Tuesday, April 14, he died accidentally by a single bullet, another victim of an escalating struggle for independence and self-determination.

by Louise Manoogian Simone Exhaustion, tension, depression, fear. The euphoria of independence is a distant memory as everyone tries to recover from a grueling, debilitating winter. Again and again one hears "I guess if we got through these past four months we can get through anything." With no heat, hot water or gas, limited fuel, intermittent electricity, skyrocketing inflation, blockade and the escalating war in Karabagh, the downturn since my last trip in October is dramatic. Survival is all that is in the hearts and minds of 3,500,000 people in Armenia.

by AGBU News Maestro Loris Tjeknavorian and the 120 member Armenia Philharmonic performed their weekly Friday night concerts throughout the winter. With no heat in the hall and temperatures falling below 25 degrees, musicians played with freezing fingers while standing room only audiences listened bundled in sweaters, scarves and coats. "I had a terrible time conducting because a cold wind blew in my face every time I waved my baton," said Tjeknavorian.

by Louise Manoogian Simone

by David Zenian YEREVAN - The Armenian Parliament is determined to wipe out the "rubber stamp" image of the Communist legislature it replaced. The road has been tough, including occasional friction with President Levon Ter Petrossian over the parameters of authority. In one such episode April 28, Ter Petrossian's closest ally and protege Prime Minister Gagig Harutunian presented his resignation to Parliament after his latest attempt to win the approval of the House on the government's socio-economic program.

by David Zenian WASHINGTON - Preferential trade and investment insurance agreements between the United States and Armenia signed in Washington April 2 will help jumpstart the Armenian economy and give it the much-needed boost toward a market economy.