Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 1, 2004
FOR FUTURE STUDENTS
The NKR government has confirmed the list of the specialties and
number of paid and free places in the higher educational institutions
of NKR and RA for admittance in 2004. At the NKR ministry of
education, culture and science we were informed that at Artsakh State
University the number of free places will be 200, the number of paid
places 570 (increased by 20 against last year), distance education
places will be 305. This year the number of free places in the Music
College after Sayat Nova will be 25, and the paid places 24. At the
Agricultural College of Stepanakert the free places for applicants
with 8-year school education is 4 against 5 of last year, and the
number of paid places is 41 (increased by 1). The free places for
applicants with secondary education increased by one from last year
and is 41, and the paid places are 120 (increased twice from last
year). In the distance learning system of the Agricultural College the
places for applicants with eight-year school education is the same 40,
and the places for applicants with secondary education increased by 15
and is 140. The paid and free places at the Medical College of
Stepanakert remained the same, 17 and 120. And the Shoushi College of
Humanities after Khachatur Abovian will admit students for distant
learning this year. The free places in the college are 40, of which 15
are for applicants with eight-year education, and paid places are 40,
of which 30 are for applicants with secondary education. This year the
same college will provide 40 places for distant learning. The 30
places at Stepanakert Dance College are free of charge. In RA higher
educational institutions the number of places provided for NKR
increased by 5 and totals 35. Yerevan State University provides 7
places, State Engineering University of Armenia 5, State Yerevan
University of Architecture and Building 5, Yerevan State Economic
University 5, Yerevan State Conservatoire after Komitas 4, Yerevan
State Institute of Theatre and Cinema 1, Yerevan State Medical
University 5, Agricultural Academy of Armenia 1, Russian-Armenian
University 2.
SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN.

Armenian leader gets “Press enemy” title on media day
Mediamax news agency
3 May 04
YEREVAN
The national press club today gave the title of “Press enemy” to
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the chairwoman of the
permanent commission on science and education, Granush Akopyan.
Mediamax news agency reported that members of the national press
club’s board announced that the Armenian president received this title
for the signing of a law “On the mass media” adopted by the National
Assembly. This law, according to the head of the national press club,
prejudices journalists’ rights and violates freedom of speech.
The national press club’s board announced that Granush Akopyan
received the title of “Press enemy” for lobbying for amendments to the
above law.
The national press club gave the title of “Press enemy” to Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan in 2002 and 2003.
Commenting on the 2002 decision of the National Press club, the
Armenian president said that he looked at it “with humour”. At the
same time, Robert Kocharyan noted that “the worst thing is that
journalists are becoming a tool in the hands of the politicians”.
“This kind of journalism does not exist as far as I am concerned, I
remember them as part of the opposition. Good luck to them,” Robert
Kocharyan said in May 2002.

Opposition confident Armenian president will resign, rally planned 4 May
Mediamax news agency
3 May 04
YEREVAN
The opposition is confident that Robert Kocharyan will resign from the
post of the Armenian president, one of the leaders of Justice
opposition block, former Prime Minister Aram Sarkisyan told a briefing
in Yerevan today.
Aram Sarkisyan said that the opposition’s confidence is based on the
fact that “the people have livened up and come out against the illegal
President,” Mediamax reported. He said that “the opposition is going
to act in accord with the following scenario – changing of power,
holding of pre-term presidential elections, dissolution of the
National Assembly and holding of pre-term parliamentarian elections.”
Aram Sarkisian said that the opposition will stage a regular rally on
Freedom Square in Yerevan on May 4 at 1800 [presumably local time].
He noted that despite the law “On the procedure of staging meetings,
rallies, marches and demonstrations” adopted by the Armenian
Parliament last week, which contained certain restrictions, “we will
stage rallies wherever we find it expedient; guided by the UN
Convention on Human Rights.”

Armenian opposition MPs comment on PACE session
Mediamax news agency
3 May 04

YEREVAN
Artashes Gegamyan and Shavarsh Kocharyan, representing the opposition
in the Armenian delegation in PACE, did not put their signatures under
the initiative to put the issue of the internal political situation in
Armenia on the agenda of PACE’s spring session.
The leader of the National Unity Party [MP of the National Assembly],
Artashes Gegamyan, said this in Yerevan today, Mediamax
reported. According to him, “a number of European parliamentarians”
concerned about “the state of democracy in Armenia” came out with the
initiative to put this issue on the agenda. Justice block
representative Shavarsh Kocharyan denied the authorities’ statements
that the PACE resolution on the situation in Armenia was supported by
the Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentarians.
The parliamentarian said that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will
address PACE’s summer session in Strasbourg on 21 June. According to
Shavarsh Kocharyan, “if by this time the authorities do not solve the
problems contained in PACE resolution adopted on 28 April we will
address the president right during the PACE meeting”.

Azerbaijan against foreign investments in Karabakh
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
1 May 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijan is jealous of economic development in
Karabakh. The Azerbaijani press concerned by the impressing indicators
of the economic development in Artsakh [Karabakh] clarified that
foreign investments have played an important role in this work. Some
officials demanded clarification from those countries’ embassies whose
citizens are the Armenian businessmen engaged in business in Karabakh.
Bahar Muradova, MP of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis, accused the
Diaspora Armenians, in violation of the Azerbaijani laws, in that they
must pay profit revenues to the Azerbaijani budget.
[Correspondent over video of Karabakh plants] The Azerbaijanis are
attentively following after the Nagornyy Karabakh economic
achievements and were very concerned by the recent results. Announcing
that the Artsakh Armenians have achieved 40 per cent GDP growth during
one year, as the Azerbaijani Zerkalo newspaper noted foreign
investments from various countries have played an important role in
this achievement. These are the USA, France, Switzerland, Australia,
Lebanon, Russia and neighbour Iran. The newspaper is writing about the
Sasun company which is producing polyethylene plastics, whose director
is the Iranian Armenian, Hovnan Avetyan. The Iranian Armenians are
also planning production of construction materials in Susa [Shusha]. A
correspondent of Zerkalo, in order to ask for clarification, called
the Iranian embassy in Baku. The Iranian ambassador noted that Tehran
is not keeping tabs on all its businessmen. But the Iranian
businessmen saw that the investments in Karabakh are very profitable
and therefore they are going to Karabakh.
The chairman of the Karabakh Liberation Organization, Akif Nagi,
announced that protest rallies will be soon staged outside the
embassies of those countries from which investments are flooding to
Nagornyy Karabakh. Akif Nagi also announced that protest rallies will
be staged against the Iranian companies in Baku. They will demand the
authorities to stop the activities of these companies. The deputy
executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan party, Bahar Muradova
also defended Akif Nagi’s opinion. She called the investors’ moves a
violation of Azerbaijani territorial integrity. The Iranian and other
countries’ citizens must respect the law, she said. Neither Nagi nor
MP Muradova said that they in Azerbaijan will boycott the activity of
the American and European companies which are working with
Karabakh. If they did, then who would be working in Azerbaijan at all?
From: Baghdasarian

A1 Plus | 19:45:01 | 03-05-2004 | Politics |
TWO PRESS ENEMIES AND NO FRIENDS
Armenian National Press Club held Monday annual traditional ceremony of
announcing names of press foes. Two persons – president Kocharyan and head
of parliamentary commission on culture, science and education Hranush
Hakobyan – are given press foe title this year.
This is the third time Robert Kocharyan has been “awarded” the title, this
time for adopting the Mass Media Law and for turning blind eye to violence
against journalists.
Hranush Hakobyan earned the title for her contribution to the law adoption,
for misleading MPs and suppressing international experts’ opinion.
Nominees for press friend title were National Assembly member Victor
Dallakyan and the Justice Union. However, there were not enough votes cast
for these candidacies.

A1 Plus | 20:01:28 | 03-05-2004 | Politics |
ARMENIA IS BADLY IN NEED OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH
If Armenia wants to become truly democratic country it needs freedom of
speech, especially in struggle against corruption, the head of World Bank’s
Armenian office Roger Robinson said at the discussion dedicated to
International Freedom of Speech Day held Monday in Yerevan Press Club.
The Club Chair Boris Navasardyan said to put into practice freedom of speech
principle many issues, such as A1+ Company problem, should be reconsidered
and solved.
Astkhik Gevorgyan, the head of the Journalists’ Union, said Cooperation in
the Name of Open Society organization came up with a statement Monday
demanding law enforcement authorities to track down perpetrators of last
month’s violence and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. There is
also demand in the statement to remove articles 135,136 and 318 from Penal
Code.
The fact that A1+ TV Company has been repeatedly denied broadcasting license
proves that Armenian Radio and Television National Commission isn’t guided
by principles of impartiality and justice.

UNITED ARMENIAN FUND
1101 N. Pacific Avenue # 301
Glendale, CA 91202
Tel: 818.241.8900
Fax: 818.241.6900
For Immediate Release
3 May 2004
Contact: 818.241.8900
UAF’s 128th Airlift Delivers $3.3 Million of Aid to Armenia
Glendale, CA – The United Armenian Fund’s 128th airlift arrived in Yerevan
on May 1, delivering $3.3 million of humanitarian assistance.
The UAF itself collected $2.9 million of medicines and medical supplies for
this flight, most of which were donated by the Catholic Medical Mission
Board
($2.5 million); Health Partners ($150,000); MAP International ($108,000);
and AmeriCares ($103,000).
Other organizations which contributed goods for this airlift were: Dr.
Stephen Kashian of Illinois ($57,000); Armenian Canadian Medical Association
($52,000); Dr. Viken Garabedian of California ($52,000); Chene France
($39,000); and Shoebox Sharing ($31,000).
Also contributing to this airlift were: Armenian General Benevolent Union
($17,000); Harut Chantikian of New Jersey ($15,000); Armenian Eyecare
Project ($14,000); Prof. Ernst Leumann of Switzerland ($13,000); and U.S.
Department of Agriculture ($12,000).
Since its inception in 1989, the UAF has sent $383 million of humanitarian
assistance to Armenia on board 128 airlifts and 1,043 sea containers.
The UAF is the collective effort of the Armenian Assembly of America, the
Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Missionary Association of
America, the Armenian Relief Society, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America, the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and the
Lincy Foundation.
For more information, contact the UAF office at 1101 North Pacific Avenue,
Suite 301, Glendale, CA 91202 or call (818) 241-8900.
###

A1 Plus | 22:08:28 | 03-05-2004 | Social |
WARNING: POISONOUS COFFEE
After careful examination of coffee abundant in Armenian market, PR
Association reported the most popular kinds of ground coffee, especially
those containing prizes in packs to attract consumers, such as Fero,
Cardinal, Premier, Maxwell and Super Argo, have poisonous elements – cadmium
and copper – in their composition.
Professor Ojugaryan said at today’s news conference cadmium amount exceeded
the allowed norm 10-15 %. In his words, cadmium is reckoned among the
first-degree-risk metals and lead to cancer, infertility toxic disorders
etc.
Experts found also great amount of starch, pea and other legumes in coffee.

Council of Europe resolution backfired on Armenian opposition, minister says
Noyan Tapan news agency
3 May 04
YEREVAN
The resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
[PACE] on the domestic political situation in Armenia crushed the
opposition’s major arguments, it boomeranged against the opposition,
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said in an interview
with Armenian Public TV. He noted that “the resolution cut the ground
from under the feet of our opposition”.
Thus, the resolution, as well as the report that it was based on, gave
answers to the opposition’s major arguments that the president was
elected illegally, the election results were falsified and that
therefore, a referendum of confidence had to be conducted.
[Passage omitted: quotes from the resolution]
The minister said that the PACE said unambiguously that the
presidential election results, despite violations during the
elections, had been ratified by the international community and could
not be altered under pressure.
[Passage omitted: more quotes from the resolution]
At the same time, the minister said: “When the opposition’s actions
are illegal and unconstitutional, the authorities have no other choice
but to counter them, for their duty is to establish constitutional
order.”
In Oskanyan’s opinion, “the opposition has taken the wrong path” and
“this path leads to nowhere”. He said that the country’s authority is
very high, “it has reached the highest point”, the process of
Armenia’s integration into Europe, investment programmes, reforms and
strengthening democracy are rated highly. The foreign minister
expressed his anxiety over the fact that the opposition believed that
“the worse, the better” and stressed that this behaviour of the
opposition posed a great threat to the country at international
organizations. Oskanyan said that many problems have to be resolved,
including those related to the deepening of democracy and serious
challenges – both concerning the settlement of the Karabakh problem
and the continuation of the economic development. It takes a
constructive opposition to resolve them, Oskanyan said.