Month: May 2008

Panorama.am

20:07 07/05/2008

ARMAN PASHIKYAN CHAMPION

Today the chess international championship taking
place in Gyumri finished. Armenian GM Arman Pashikyan
became a champion. Pashikyan gained 9 scores during
the championship and became the only champion of the
competition.

Georgian GM Georgi Bagaturov occupied the second
horizontal. He has 7 scores on his account. Another
Georgian Tamag Gelashvili occupied the third
horizontal.

Russian chess player Yevgeni Vorobiov has 3.5 scores,
he occupied the fourth horizontal, and Ukrainian
Alexander Zubariov occupied the fifth horizontal. Note
that 12 chess players from four countries took part in
the competition: Armenia, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.
The competition started on 25 April.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am
20:09 07/05/2008

188 RECEIVED DUAL CITIZENSHIP

By the decree of the president of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan, 188 citizens in Armenia received dual
citizenship, after the correspondent laws have been
revised and changes made. According to Alvina
Zakaryan, the head of passport and visa department of
the police station of the RA dual citizenship does not
mean to have citizenship in two countries. `Dual
citizenship means to have several citizenship right in
several countries, but the citizen of the Republic of
Armenia is recognized as a citizen of the RA only,’
she said.

She said that there were registered some cases when a
citizen acquired citizenship in another country
without renouncing the citizenship of the RA. She said
that unless the president of the RA signed the
renouncement of their citizenship, they remain as full
citizens of Armenia. `Nobody was renounced his/her
citizenship,’ she said.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENPRESS

FIRST TOURISM CAREER FAIR HELD

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: Today the CAPS Project
held the First Tourism Career Fair. Several
institutions providing tourism specialization.- the
European Regional Institute of Information and
Communication Technologies in Armenia (ERIICTA),
Yerevan State Armenian-Greek College of Tourism,
Service and Food Industry, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
University, State Linguistic University (V. Brusov),
and Armenian Tourism Institute supported the event.
The event aimed at strengthening and facilitating
the tourism jobseeker network by bringing together
employers and job seekers. Third and fourth-year
students from various universities and colleges of
Armenia, as well as graduate students and recent
graduates attended the fair to learn about and present
their credentials to prospective employers.
Tourism companies – Airlines, Travel Agencies, Tour
Operators, Tourism Associations, Hotels, and
Restaurants foreseeing job openings in the spring,
summer and fall of 2008 – participated in the Tourism
Career Fair and used this opportunity to locate the
best students. Each participating company was provided
with a table to present their promotional items.
By serving as a referral and information center for
various tourism programs and companies, the event is
expected to greatly facilitate the hiring needs of
local tourism companies while serving the employment
needs of public and private university students and
local job seekers.
Moreover, it allowed graduates to receive advance
information on employment and the labor market
situation in the field of Tourism and hospitality.
Prior to the event, the CAPS Project conducted
pre-event resume-writing workshops for University
students and graduates. Additionally, it conducted an
information session for participating companies, as
well as provided training for companies in good
recruitment techniques.-

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIAN AND AZERI FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS POSSIBLE
MEETING OF THEIR PRESIDENTS

BAKU, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers Edward Nalbandian and Elmar
Mamedyarov discussed Tuesday the issue of a possible
meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents Serzh
Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev.
Both ministers had their first meeting on May 6 in
Strasbourg, France on the sidelines of the 118-th
gathering of the Council of Europe’s Committee of
Ministers.
Azerbaijani APA news agency quoted Mamedyarov as
saying that there are several options on organizing
the meeting.
He said under one of the options the two presidents
may meet in June. `We shall report to the presidents
on the results of our meeting and they will made the
decision on the meeting,’ he was quoted as saying.
He added that the presidents will decide on the
next moves depending on the results of the foreign
ministers’ meeting. He said if the presidents find
that their foreign minister should have another
meeting then the ministers will have it. He said there
is a desire on both sides and the opportunity to
continue the talks.
`We are neighbor countries and we can not simply
run away from one another. A solution (to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict) should be found to get out
of the deadlock,’ Mamedyarov said.
According to APA, both ministers described their
meeting as ‘constructive.’
`We reiterated our positions. The important thing
is that we have agreed to continue the talks. We are
neighbors and we have to live in peace. I think we are
able to find a solution to this problem,’ he said.
APA said the OSCE Minsk Group Russian cochairman
Yuri Merzlyakov was also satisfied with the outcome of
the foreign ministers’ first meeting.
In a related news Ramiz Mehtiev, chief of
Azerbaijani president’s staff, spoke in favor of
continuation of the talks on the peaceful settlement
of the dispute.
`The conflict must be solved peacefully and
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be restored,’
he told journalists in Baku. He added, `it is
difficult now to say anything specific about the
outcome of Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers’
meeting in Strasbourg.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #087, 08/05/2008

Armenia-Turkey

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONFIRMS READINESS TO
NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Edward Nalbandian, the Foreign Minister of Armenia,
today confirmed the readiness of the authorities of
Armenia to normalize the relations with Turkey without
any preconditions. This statement was made during a
press conference in Paris, which took place after the
meeting of Mr. Nalbandian with his French colleague
Bernard Couchener on May 5.

The Minister stressed that the present generations of
both the Armenian and the Turkish peoples have
inherited a heavy burden from their past. In order to
turn this black page of their history, political
leaders must cooperate. ‘For its part, Armenia is
ready for it. We propose establishing relations
without preconditions, which will be in favor of both
the region and the two countries’, the Minister said.

Translated by A.M.

AZG Armenian Daily #087, 08/05/2008

Karabakh issue

MEETINGS IN STRASBOURG

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is in
Strasbourg to participate in 118th session of the
Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, met with his
Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov on May 6 in
accordance with preliminary arrangement, RA MFA Press
Office reported.

The meeting was followed by another meeting with MG
Co-Chairs, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier (France),
Matthew Bryza (USA), Yuri Merzliakov (Russia) and
Personal Representative of OSCE CiO, Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

After the meeting E. Nalbandian answered the questions
of the journalists mentioning that the meeting had a
cognitive nature. The two ministers exchanged views on
Karabakh process, presented their countries’ positions
and arranged to continue the negotiations.

The Ministers will present the results of the
discussions to the Presidents. Afterwards, the
Presidents will decide on further activities.

Translated by L.H

AZG Armenian Daily #087, 08/05/2008

Armenian Genocide

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS URGES ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO
RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Catholicos of All-Armenians Garegin II yesterday in Vatican called all
the countries of the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

According to Associated Press, His Holiness delivered a speech during
a meeting of Pop Benedict the 16th with the believers.

His Holiness Garegin II urged all nations and countries to condemn
jointly all the genocides of human history.

"Denial of those crimes is as unjust as committing of them. Many
countries of the world recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide
committed in the Ottoman Empire", mentioned the Catholicos of
All-Armenians.

During the meeting, Pop Benedict the 16th spoke of the severe
temptations of the Christian Armenians "especially during the last
century".

West news agencies recall that Pop John Paul II visited Armenia in
2001 and laid a wreath at the memorial of the Armenians that became
victims of what happened in the Ottoman Empire.

Translated by L.H

PanARMENIAN.Net

Eduard Abrahamyan:
Armenia could play more important role in the region

Election of new Presidents in Armenian and Russia,
upcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan and shift
of leader in the White House will inevitably influence
on foreign policy of many states. It’s especially
vivid in the South Caucasus. Armenia’s relations with
neighbors and world powers depend on the republic’s
foreign policy. Chairman of Mitq analytical center,
historian Eduard Abrahamyan comments to
PanARMENIAN.Net on his vision of the situation.
07.05.2008 GMT+04:00

What should be the priorities of Armenia’s foreign
policy?

One of the priority tasks for Armenia’s should be
settlement of liberated territories in Nagorno
Karabakh and support to NKR’s foreign policy. The
Armenian-Azeri so-called consultations produced no
effect. With creation of the Kosovo precedent,
official Yerevan should recognize both Kosovo and
Nagorno Karabakh. With densely populated NKR, it will
be possible to prevent a new war between Karabakh and
Azerbaijan.

Another key task is cooperation with NATO and Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), which claims to become
the major military-political bloc and a counterbalance
to the Alliance. Besides, our neighbor Iran has
already announced intention to join the SCO.

Yerevan’s joining the Organization will open new
horizons and possibilities to participate in global
economic projects. Moreover, contrary to pro-western
Azerbaijan, Armenia can become an alternative for many
Asian gas exporters and act as transit country.

However, it doesn’t mean that we should stand up
against NATO. What we should do is to assess the
situation and decide on the benefits we can gain from
cooperating with the blocs.

Strengthening of ties with states which are not
Armenia’s military and strategic partners is also
important. To be self-sufficient we should get rid of
the complex of `a helpless nation’ and develop viable
projects for consolidation of Armenian state system in
the South Caucasus.

How real is the end of Russia’s presence in the South
Caucasus?

Presently, the Russia is not deciding `to be or not to
be’ in the South Caucasus. Moscow has been trying to
strengthen its influence in the region so far. The
point is that Russia has two tools of pressure in
Georgia and none in Azerbaijan. It’s quite obvious
that the Kremlin has for a long time Karabakh as a
pressing factor. Now, due to Artsakh’s complete
isolation from Azerbaijan, the situation has changed.

Possibly, national tensions in north of Azerbaijan and
Baku’s aggressive policy toward Dagestani-speaking
population can offer Moscow a chance for creating an
alternative factor.
However, Russia’s unawareness of mentality and
capabilities of North Caucasus nations often resulted
in paralyzing of ethnic problems. This problem may be
viewed as omission by Armenia, which in the course of
15 years made no effort to convince Moscow of its
determination to finally resolve the `Azeri issue’.
Today, in the light of the U.S.-Turkey tensions, some
Russian forces speak out for stabilization of
relations with Ankara.

What’s Armenia’s actual role in the region?

In my opinion, Armenia could play a more important
role in the region, irrelative of the NKR issue or
blockade imposed by Turkey. The role of our state is
badly demanded over the lack of flexibility in the
foreign policy. Armenia proves unable to suppress the
growing anti-Armenian moods in Georgia. But as a
matter of fact, our republic could be an unofficial
guarantor of sustainable development of
Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti and strengthen
Armenian economic and political influence on Ajaria
via promoting political and territorial autonomization
of Samtskhe Javakheti. It would force Georgia to
consider Yerevan’s opinion. Ajaria and Samtskhe
Javakheti make the outlet toward to the Black Sea
which is the solution to the problem of blockade.

Let’s look how Baku pursues its policy in Kvemo
Kartli, where plants and enterprises are established
with the Azerbaijani capital. Furthermore, political
consolidation of Azeri population in Georgia has
started with formation of regional political bodies
like the Azeri national assembly and the Party of
Azerbaijanis of Georgia.

To avoid a calamity, the new leadership of Armenia
should prevent Georgian assimilation and outflow of
Armenians from Samtskhe Javakheti via direct
investments in its economy and its transformation into
a political entity.

Is normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
possible in the foreseeable future?

I wouldn’t say. The fact is that Turkic solidarity is
gaining weight. Turkey is not interested in
independence and uncontrollable Armenia. During the
soviet era, Ankara was trying to weaken Russia’s
influence and cement the Turkic bloc and Islamic
fundamentalism.

As to Georgia, it has to put up with the economic
expansion of Turkey, which under supervision of its
Western allies keeps on developing various scenarios
of so-called Turkish projects where Armenia is
perceived as a temporal political entity, completely
yielding to Azerbaijan.

However, despite political confrontation, I can’t rule
out official economic ties between the two states,
especially because informal economic contacts has
existed and developed since Armenia proclaimed
independence

How do you assess Azerbaijan’s policy toward Iran?

Azerbaijan is becoming a state which develops aims and
objectives for strengthening its influence in entire
Middle East. It has always pursued a balanced and
cautious policy toward Iran. Exploiting the factor of
Southern Azerbaijan, Baku is aspired to cause a split
in the Iranian society, thus playing in Washington’s
hands, which views the situation as a good platform to
be used against Tehran.

However, Baku also tries to cooperate with Iran in
energy and commutation fields in order to isolate
Armenia fro regional projects.

Can Baku manipulate energy sources?

Baku has always viewed the energy and communication
resources as an extra political tool for gaining
maximal political concessions from its economic
companions. It specifically refers to the Karabakh
issue and Azerbaijan’s influence in the region.
Nevertheless, many European states eye Azerbaijan as a
country which supplies energy sources bypassing Russia
and often satisfy its whims despite obvious
unwillingness to do so. Presently, Azerbaijan is by
all means trying to gain maximal benefits from Nabucco
project which will offer a possibility to leave
Armenia behind.
«PanARMENIAN.Net», 07.05.2008

PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF VETERANS OF GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR IS IMPORTANT FOR
PATRIOTIC UPBRINGING OF YOUTH, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. "If there had not been your example during
the Great Patriotic war – the example of our grandfathers, in all
likelihhod we would have failed to defend our homeland, defend our
independence and territorial integrity in our recent history," the
Armenian president Serge Sargsian stated when receiving a group of
members of the Committee of Great Patriotic War Veterans and the
Council of Veterans on May 7. The president congratulated the veterans
on Victory Day and expressed his gratitude for the work they have done
after the war in order to bring up and educate the young generation.
"Your personal example is extremely important for patriotic upbringing
of the youth," he said.

According to the RA president’s press service, during the talk, the
veterans and discussed a number of social security-related problems
with the president. They said that state attention to and care of
veterans have notably increased in recent years. S. Sargsian assured
the veterans that the problems raised by them will get prompt solution.

FIRST CAREER FAIR OF TOURISM SECTOR HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The first career fair of the tourism
sector with the participation of 25 companies of the tourism sector and
higher educational institutions was held at the European Regional
Academy in Yerevan on May 7. The fair was organized by the
USAID-financed Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) Project in
cooperation with the Armenian-Greek State College of Tourism, Services
and Food Industry, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, the
Armenian Institute of Tourism and the State Linguistic University after
V. Bryusov.

In his speech the RA deputy minister of education and science Ara
Avetisian attached special importance to such events – in terms of
forming the standards of "education quality" for higher educational
institutions by the business sector.

The head of the Employment Service of the RA of the ministry of labor
and social issues Sona Harutyunian said that career fairs are also
important from the viewpoint of enabling to collect information about
demand and supply of workforce.

The CAPS director Hayley Alexander expressed his satisfaction at the
large number of fair participants. He stated that CAPS will continue
assisting with the organization of career fairs in Armenia (in 2007 the
CAPS organized a career fair of the IT sector, another fair will be
held this year).

Prior to the career fair, the CAPS held a seminar on resume preparation
for students and alumni of higher educational institutions. It is also
envisaged organizing an information seminar and courses on efficient
methods of staff recruitment for the companies that have participated
in the fair.