Month: December 2008

WITH SUPPORT OF VIVACELL-MTS, UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED TO DETECT DEVELOPING HIP DISLOCATION AMONG INFANTS

ArmInfo
2008-12-18 19:41:00

With the support of VivaCell-MTS company, Scientific Research Center of
Maternal and Child Health Protection has acquired up-to-date equipment
to detect developing hip dislocation among infants.

Director of the Center Georgy Okoyev told journalists, every 5th
infant out of 1000 suffers from this disease. The tradition of tight
wrapping, which is so much popular in the republic, also contributes
to the growth of hip dislocation cases. According to the statistics,
the developing hip dislocation is found most frequently among girls
(up to 80% of cases). Furthermore, in case of late detection of the
disease, 30-40% of children risk to remain disabled.

Henceforth the new ultrasonograph will allow examining the infants
and detect the developing hip dislocation at the age of 2-3 days. For
his part, General Manager of VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian stressed
that everyone should contribute to raising of healthcare level in
the republic. "We need a healthy generation. And our company will
continue contributing to acquisition of up-to-date facilities for
the republic’s hospitals",- he said.

To note, VivaCell-MTS supports the Children’s Rebirth NGO to acquire
relevant facilities for early detection of various diseases and
prevention of children’s disability. The company allocated 2.540 mln
AMD for this program.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENOCIDE PREVENTION OPENS IN MOSCOW

Yerkir Media
Thursday, December 18, 2008
MOSCOW

Historians and political officials from around the world gathered
in Russia to take part in the second conference on the prevention of
Genocide, sponsored by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the
"Just Russia" party.

Armenia was represented by ARF Bureau member and Deputy Speaker of
the Parliament Vahan Hovannesian and Bureau member Levon Lazarian.

Presentations were made on the Armenian Genocide and the ethnic
cleansing campaign in Serbia. The reports from the conference will
be published at a later date.

"The conference is important not only because of the 60th anniversary
of the International Declaration of Genocide and Human Rights, but also
because Armenia and Turkey relations are new path," said Hovannesian.

"It is important for Russians to understand that without the proper
reparations for the Genocide, the issue will head to a dead end,
despite the various politically-motivated efforts to welcome a
dialogue," added Hovannesian.

The conference was also significant because it was being held in one
of the first countries to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA ELABORATES SINGLE STANDARD OF REPORTING ON DANGEROUS FOODSTUFFS IN THE CONSUMER MARKET

ArmInfo
2008-12-18 19:44:00

Government of Armenia has elaborated a single standard of reporting
on dangerous food products and food supplements and accessory food
substances, Agriculture Minister of Armenia Aramais Grigoryan declared
at the government session Thursday.

Thus, the government made a protocol pursuant to which an economic
entity having grounded doubts on the quality of certain products is
to inform the supplier and purchaser.

The application is to contain the source of information on the danger
of certain products, the time of revealing, the name of producer
or importer and a number of other data. A. Grigoryan said relevant
actions have already been taken in many European states. ‘Economic
entities informing relevant agencies and each other of dangerous
products will help revealing low-quality products and preventing such
cases in future’, he declared.

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN HINTS AT ARMENIA ROOTS OF ABDULLAH GUL

ArmInfo
2008-12-18 19:29:00

Armenian apology campaign launched by a group of scientists,
writers, artists, journalists and representatives of nongovernmental
organizations was discussed at the meeting of Foreign Relations
Commission of Turkish parliament on December 17.

APA reports quoting Turkish media that parliamentarians from opposition
parties Republican People’s Party (CHP) and National Movement Party
(MHP) offered to make a statement condemning the persons supporting
the campaign.

Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) objected to it. Following
the discussions, decision was made on the parliamentarians’ condemning
the apology campaign by collecting signatures individually. Member
of MHP, parliamentarian Janan Aritman called the organizers of the
campaign betrayers.

"The false scientists signing it should apology to Turkey," he said.

Aritman also criticized President Abdullah Gul’s attitude towards
the campaign. Saying that Abdullah Gul was encouraged by his visit
to Armenia, Aritman dropped a hint that the president’s mother was
Armenian. "We see that the president supports this campaign. Abdullah
Gul should be the president of the whole Turkish nation, not of his
ethnic origin. Investigate the ethnic origin of the president’s mother,
and you will see," he said. Some claim in Turkey that Abdullah Gul’s
mother was born to an Armenian-origin family from Kayseri and father
was an Arab moved to Kayseri.

MOSCOW DECLARATION STIPULATES THAT FOR PRESENT SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH PROBLEM IS NOT POSSIBLE

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of the director
of the Caucasus Media Institute Alexander Iskandarian, the defeat
inflicted by Russian troops on the Georgian army caused a panic in
Azerbaijan, nullifying the opportunity of a military solution of the
Karabakh problem. The Armenian-Turkish contacts which, regardless
of further development of the relations of the two countries, have
already changed the situation in the region, have also contributed
to the weakening of Azerbaijan’s positions.

As A. Iskandarian said during the discussion on the subject "The
Perception of the Karabakh Conflict by Society and the Results of
the Negotiation Process in 2008", at the same time some panic moods
were recorded in Armenia as well as some political forces and mass
media outlets spoke about the inevitability of surrendering Karabakh
to Azerbaijan in the near future.

However, according to A. Iskandarian, such statements were made
not based on an analysis of the situation but from political
considerations.

The political scientist expressed an opinion that the Karabakh problem
cannot be solved thanks to volitional abilities of some persons or
forces or thanks to newly proposed solutions. It is a derivative of
the balance among numerous players and factors in the region, and only
in case of violation of that balance, a sharp change can be recorded.

In the words of the former deputy foreign minister of Nagorno Karabakh
Masis Mayilian, the Russian-Turkish rapprochement after the August
events creates a possibility of such a violation of the balance,
which is fraught with danger of a not pro-Armenian solution of the
Karabakh conflict.

As regards Georgia, in the words of A. Iskandarian, as a result of
the Russian-Georgian war, Georgia has become much weaker, and not
only from the economic and military point of view: its positions as
a stronghold of democracy in the South Caucasus have weakened, while
Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili lost his reputation for being
the most democratic president in the region.

GAGIK JHANGIRIAN: THE REGIME HAS A MAXIMUM OF 25 DAYS TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

Judge Zhora Vardanian presiding over the December 18 court sitting on
the case against Gagik Jhangirian, former deputy prosecutor general
of Armenia, rejected the defence’s petition for his self-challenge
and went to the consultation room to make a decision about the next
petition for his self-challenge. This decision will be made public
at the court sitting on December 22. The court did not examine either
the defence’s petition on inadmissibility of recognizing the military
jacket as material evidence as it was confiscated with gross judicial
violations and there are no words "Spetsnaz" written on its back as
it was testified by a policeman. According to the presiding judge,
the court will express an opinion about the petition in its sentence.

The defence complains that the court has a preconcieved opinion
about the case, acts on the prosecution’s side, does not protect
the interests of the law and uses double standards. The defence
believes that the court is not unbiased and objective and it is
evident, in particular, from the presiding judge’s statements that
the case against G. Jhangirian is not one of the March 1 cases: it
is clear even to a child that G. Jhangirian is persecuted for his
political views. "You also took part in illegalities by permitting
eavesdropping at the presidential election on February 19," the
defence lawyer Lusine Sahakian said. According to the defence, the
decision of the presiding judge not to recognize G. Jjangirian as a
victim is also biased, even though the judge admitted the fact of
G. Jhangirian’s being subjected to beating: "it is not known who
beat him". G. Jhangirian in his tirn said that the conduct of the
court proves once againt that his case is not criminal but it is a
political requital. "From the case of political hostages, only the
rod of Myasnik Malkhasian will remain, the rest is nothing," he said,
hinting at "the case of the seven". "The regime has a maximum of 25
days to release the political prisoners, we have waited for 10 months
and will wait for another 10," G. Jhangirian added.

GARNIK MARGARIAN: YEAR 2008 WAS WRITTEN AS A BLOODY AND BLACK PAGE IN ARMENIA’S MODERN HISTORY

NOYAN TAPAN

DEC 18, 2008
YEREVAN

"The year 2008 was written as a bloody and black page in Armenia’s
modern history," Garnik Margarian, the Chairman of the Homeland and
Honor party, stated. According to him, "the things that happened on
February 19 and March 1-2 do not fit into any political and moral
limit." During the December 18 meeting with journalists he considered
inadmissible that Armenia’s problems are solved at international
structures.

"Are we so short-witted that the Europeans should solve our problems?,"
G. Margarian said.

According to his estimation, first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian
is the only person, who can give a solution to the problems faced by
the country.

According to him, after the disgraceful presidential elections of
2003 no conscious, capable, and fearless political figure appeared
in the opposition sphere, and L. Ter-Petrosian dared lay that heavy
burden on his shoulders.

Besides, according to G. Margarian, a political movement took place
in the country with first President’s return, in consequence of
which the people rose. "A flash of hope and light woke up in the
people, as some political figures were money-lenders, with one hand
in Serzh-Robert’s pocket and with the other they wanted to present the
people with a monument to justice," G. Margarian said adding that they
will continue working and leading to the end the business they started.

Touching upon the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, G. Margarian said
that illegitimate presidential elections were held twice in Armenia,
and Europe closed its eyes on it. However, according to him, the
illegitimate authorities are not able to successfully solve national
issues.

Speaking about the trial on the "case of the seven" G. Margarian
said that it was told at the PACE Monitoring Committee on December
17 that there are not sufficient grounds to accuse them and to
consider them criminals. "As a lawyer I can say that it is a forged
case. Seven hostages are kept to put out the political movement,"
G. Margarian said.

ARMEN ASHOTIAN: AUTHORITIES WERE POWERLESS IN RESISTING OPPOSITION’S INFORMATION TRICKS

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

It is a great honor for Armenia that it has such an information agency
as Armenpress, Artur Baghdasarian, the Secretary of the National
Security Council, stated at the opening of a conference organized
on the occasion of Armenpress agency’s 90th jubilee at Yerevan State
University. According to him, today Armenpress can represent Armenia
with dignity at international circles.

In his speech made at the conference under the title Information
Wars A. Baghdasarian stated that it was decided to form an
interdepartmental commission at the National Security Council a week
ago, which should be engaged in information security problems. "If we
wish to resist information wars, we should outline an exact actions
plan," A. Baghdasarian said.

Armen Ashotian, a member of the National Assembly RPA faction, also
touched upon the subject of information wars stating that as a rule
such wars are peculiar to international subjects. However, according
to him, sometimes information wars proceed on a home political plane,
as it happened during the February 19 presidential elections. According
to A. Ashotian, during the preelection campaign and after the elections
the opposition leader managed to use a number of information tricks,
against which the authorities were powerless. According to deputy’s
observation, in general, during information wars the side attacking
the first, in this case, the opposition is more well-prepared. As an
information technology used by L. Ter-Petrosian A.

Ashotian gave the example of first President’s statement that he is
going to disorganize the power pyramid. According to the speaker,
such a formulation is called "breaking" in international practice.

YSU Rector Aram Simonian, Dean of YSU Journalism Department Naghash
Martirosian, deputy editor-in-chief of the ITAR-TASS information
agency Alexei Berezhkov also touched upon information wars.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASSEMBLY PROPOSED STOPPING ARMENIAN DELEGATION’S POWERS IN NEW DRAFT RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA AT MONITORING COMMITTEE SITTING

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

The Assembly is proposed stopping Armenian delegation’s powers in
the 9th point of draft resolution on Armenia at PACE Monitoring
Committee December 17 sitting. The new draft resolution on the
process of fulfillment of Resolutions N 1609 and 1620 on democratic
institutions’ activity in Armenia adopted in the current year authored
by Co-rapporteurs on Armenia George Colombier and John Prescott is
planned to be submitted for Assembly’s discussion and adoption at the
winter session to be convened on January 26-30, 2009 in Strasbourg. It
was decided at the Monitoring Committee sitting that the Co-rapporteurs
will visit Armenia once more before that.

"I think there may be such developments in January that will give a
possibility to reconsider that proposal and to establish that Armenia
has indeed fulfilled almost the most part of proposals of resolutions
N 1609 and 1620," RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in his
interview to journalists.

French Co-chair George Colombier in his exclusive interview to Public
Television Paris correspondent did not exclude, either that the draft
will be amended as a result of Co-rapporteurs’ coming visit. According
to his estimation, the Armenian authorities have already recorded
sufficient progress in the direction of fulfilling resolutions N
1609 and 1620, and it is desirable that the authorities do more to
mitigate the tension and to restore democracy.

According to Public Television’s Haylur information program, the
Monitoring Committee is mainly discontent with the preliminary
investigation on the criminal case filed against seven opposition
figures on the March 1 events with the accusation of making an attempt
of seizing state power and organizing mass disorders. According to the
same source, the Co-rapporteurs expressed an opinion that the above
mentioned case should have been either quashed so far or an amnesty
should have been granted to them. By the way, before the sitting
the Committee members had a possibility to get acquainted with RA
Prosecutor General’s 60-page explanations on the problem in English.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES LIST OF MEASURES ON IMPROVEMENT OF GARNI-GEGHARD TOURIST ROUTE

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN

At the December 17 sitting, the Armenian government approved the list
of measures on improvement of the Garni-Geghard tourist route.

According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, it
was established that the annex of the decision envisages measures
(except for Point 4) to be implemented by the respective responsible
bodies at the expense of state budgetary resources allocated for their
activities. The RA minister of finance was instructed to submit a
proposal to the government within a month regarding allocation of 29
mln drams (about 95 thousand USD) to Kotayk regional administration
from the reserve fund of the government with the aim of implementing
the measure envisaged by Point 4 of the annex: organization of regular
garbage collection in Goghti community and communities included in
the Garni-Geghard tourist route.

The bodies responsible for implementation of the measures envisaged by
the decision were instructed to submit information on the measure’s
implementation to the RA minister of economy within 10 days after
the end of the implementation period. By another instruction, the RA
minister of transport and communication is to submit a proposal on
ensuring the servicing of the first kilometer of the motorway from
the border of Yerevan’s Nor Nork community to Jrvezh community to the
government within a week. The RA minister of economy was instructed
to submit a summary report on the measures implemented during 15 days
to the government after receiving the above mentioned information
envisaged by 4th point of the decision.