Month: November 2009

"KARLSSON ON THE ROOF IS FLYING AGAIN" EXHIBITION TO BE ON VIEW AT THE CHILDREN’S ART GALLERY OF ARMENIA

armradio.am
16.11.2009 13:06

Karlsson on the Roof is Flying Again , the first exhibition devoted
exclusively to the drawings of Ilon Wikland, will be on view at the
Children’s Art Gallery of Armenia from November 19 through December
3, 2010. The Exhibition is organized by the Swedish EU Presidency
in cooperation with the Consulate of Estonia, Junior Achievement of
Armenia and Oriflame of Armenia.

Karlsson on the Roof, a story written by Swedish author Asrtid
Lindgren, was turned into a famous cartoon. The cartoon which aired
for many years from Soviet Armenia to independent Armenia has been a
favorite for generations. The illustrator of the book, Ilon Wikland
was born in Estonia and left with her grandmother to Sweden at the
age of 14. She is in Armenia for the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition is part of the celebrations marking the adoption of
the International Convention on Children Rights. "I am pleased that
we can offer the opportunity for Armenians to come and enjoy one of
their favorite cartoon characters come to life through the work of
Ilon Wikland. At the same time, the event gives us the occasion to once
again emphasize the importance of bringing into public’s attention the
fundamental rights of children." stated Hans Gunnar Aden, Ambassador
of Sweden.

At the opening of the exhibition on November 19, skits on children’s
rights performed by school children will be presented. Four hundred
students from 20 schools of all regions of Armenia took part in a
competition organized by Junior Achievement of Armenia. The teams
studied the rights of children, discussed, wrote and presented a
script on one or more rights. The wining 3 teams: school 149 of
Yerevan School, school number 5 of Etchmiatzin city and Nersesian
College of Etchmiatzin will be joined by the Children of Orran, a
center for needy and vagrant children and the students of the comedy
school of Ashod Ghazaryan in presenting the winning acts. Famous star
comedians Hrant Tokhatyan, Ashod Ghazaryan and Zara Aramyan will add
a twinkle to the show by making guest appearance.

The speakers at the event will include Laylee Moshiri, Representative
of UNICEF and a representatie of the Ombudsman of Armenia.

PETER SEMNEBY: EU CAN AND WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
16.11.2009 13:13

"I can’t say anything about the settlement of the conflict now mostly
because EU is not in the OSCE Minsk Group, but the European Union can
and will play a role in the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We
have great experience in this field. Our conflict experience could
be useful for the Karabakh conflict too," EU Special Representative
of the South Caucasus Peter Semneby told APA.

"Regarding the negotiation process I can say that there
was intensification over the past year. Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents and foreign ministers held a number of meetings. They even
signed a document in Moscow a year ago, which is a positive event
in the settlement of the conflict. We hope that the process will be
developed," Semneby said.

Semneby said he couldn’t say anything about the upcoming meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in November.

US HOPES FOR RAPID PROGRESS IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
16.11.2009 14:27

"The US hopes for rapid progress in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the former US ambassador to Azerbaijan
and Turkey, Ross Wilson, told APA news agency.

Wilson said the United States stands ready to help in any way that it
can. Washington is certainly very much focused on it and engaged in it.

"There are some basic understandings of the basic principles that would
be necessary to resolve this conflict, and I believe all of the parties
would benefit if there were a resolution of the conflict," he said.

The former ambassador believes any contact and dialogue among the
parties is a good thing, so "the more of that the better".

Wilson said that while Azerbaijan has made critical contributions to
international security efforts, the country has security concerns
closer to home: "The key to long-term stability in the region is
achieving a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We
want to see Azerbaijan and Armenia living side-by-side in a peace
that fosters mutual prosperity."

Speaking about the accords to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations,
Wilson said that this was not an initiative by the United States and
was initiated just by Turkey and Armenia.

"We saw during the war in Georgia in August 2008 that negative things
happen in the region. And a normal relationship with Turkey would
really be a historic development that would benefit not only the people
of both countries today, but the whole region. And so we actually do
think that there is a historic opportunity in the region," Wilson said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IGOR MURADYAN: THE US WILL NOT SUPPORT THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION PROCESS
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
16.11.2009 14:38

Political scientist Igor Muradyan considers that the United States
will not guarantee the continuity of the process targeted at the
establishment of the Armenian-Turkish relations, since it is in
confusion.

There are a lot of unsolved issues in our region – the Russian-Georgian
conflict, the Karabakh issue and the Armenian-Turkish relations. Under
these conditions the United States does not manage to conduct a
multifaceted policy, the political scientist said. According to
him, the US is the regulator of the process of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

Why did the US initiate process if it was not going to support it?

"It’s necessary to take note of the main purpose of US policy targeted
at restricting Turkey’s claims. However, Turkey wishes to come out
of US control, therefore, the US will not benefit from supporting
the process," Igor Muradyan said.

PM TIGRAN SARGSYAN TO ATTEND THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UN

armradio.am
16.11.2009 15:28

The delegation headed by the Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran
Sargsyan, left for Italy today to participate in the summit of the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

The delegation headed by PM Tigran Sargsyan comprises the Head of Staff
of the Government of Armenia, Gerasim Alaverdyan, Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan, other officials, representatives
of the Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tigran Sargsyan will make a speech at the summit. The Prime Minister
is expected to meet the Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, and the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme.

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY SECRETARY MEETS THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR

armradio.am
16.11.2009 16:25

Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Arthur
Baghdasaryan received the newly appointed Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Germany to Armenia, Hans-Jochen Schmidt.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to bilateral Armenian-German
relations. Arthur Baghdasaryan highly appreciated Germany’s involvement
in the implementation of different programs in Armenia and expressed
hope that Hans-Jochen Schmidt would make an important contribution
to the further deepening of Armenian-German cooperation.

Reference was made to the issue of Armenia’s cooperation with
international structures, particularly the Armenia-EU Action Plan.

At the request of the Ambassador, Arthur Baghdasaryan presented the
process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

COURT OF CESSATION OF ARMENIA SUPPORTS TEGHUT

ArmInfo
2009-11-16 11:19:00

ArmInfo. The Court of Cessation of Armenia recalled the judgment of
the Administrative Court on the case of Teghut, a lawyer Hayk Alumyan
told ArmInfo. To recall, the public organizations Ecodar, Vanadzor
Helsinki office and Transparency International anti-corruption Center
filed a claim to the Administrative Court against the government of
Armenia in summer, 2009. The claim was conditioned b the fact that
the country’s legislation, as well as international conventions and
articles of Armenia’s Constitution were violated during approval of the
project of development of Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit. However,
the Administrative Court of Armenia has twice denied the defenders of
Teghut: in the claim on cessation of implementation of the project
of exploitation of Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit, as well as in
appeal of this claim.

According to the lawyer, the decision was made by the Court of
Cessation on October 30, however, the text of the decision was
received only on November 14. ‘Now, the Administrative Court has to
initiate proceedings in the case of Teghut and consider it on merits’,
Alumyan said. Speaking of the specific terms, the lawyer said there
is just a formulation "reasonable terms" in the legislation . ‘So,
it will depend on the state of mind of a specific person’, he said.

TO BAN HUNTING OF ANIMALS FIXED IN RED BOOK

ArmInfo
2009-11-16 11:56:00

ArmInfo. Today Armenian National Assembly in the first reading made
alterations and amendments to the laws ‘On hunting and hunting farm’
and ‘On animal world’.

As the author of the presented document, deputy of the parliament
Viktor Dalakyan recalled that two months ago the parliament adopted
in the first reading the draft law ‘On hunting and hunting farm’,
which fixed certain limits on hunting, including the ban to hunt
using helicopters, explosives and other barbarous means. Two months
later it has become necessary to return to this law so that enhance
responsibility for poaching. The draft law also supposes making
alterations to the law ‘On animal world’. In particular, both documents
suppose ruling out of hunting of the animals fixed in the Red Book.

GOVERNMENT TO SUPERVISE QUALITY OF WATER IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-11-16 11:56:00

ArmInfo. Parliament of Armenia has amended the Law On National Water
Program in the first reading on Monday.

Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia Aram Haroutiunyan says quality
of water in Armenia needs improvement. This amendment aims to prevent
pollution of water resources and improvement of water quality in the
country. The Government of Armenia and not Standardization Department
will set the water quality norms.

Shavarsh Kocharyan: Turkey May Claim OSCE MG Co-Chairmanship As Soon As It Recognizes Nagorny Karabakh Republic
By Oksana Musaelyan

ArmInfo
2009-11-13 12:27:00

ArmInfo’s exclusive interview with Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign
Minister of Armenia

Alaattin Buyukkaya, the head of the Turkish Delegation to the OSCE PA,
Turkish parliamentarian representing Justice and Development Party
(AKP), has recently voiced a statement saying that Turkey will fight
for restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan till the very
end. In addition, he called on Baku for growing military potential
and enhancing fight for its own interests. How can such statement
fit into the logic of the Armenian-Turkish process?

The call by the head of the Turkish delegation for further
militarization of Azerbaijan contradicts to the logic of the
negotiation process, the Madrid principles, and the Maindorf
Declaration saying that the settlement of the conflict must be peaceful
without use or threat of force. This statement contradicts even the
spirit, the content and the goals of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols
waiting for their ratification.

Such statements support Azerbaijan’s destructive stance. To negotiate
constructively, Azerbaijan should stop blaming the Armenian parties
for the conflict aftermaths. The fact of Nagorny Karabakh people’s
self-determination is in the basis of the conflict. The power politics
of Azerbaijan, in particular, the pogroms of the Armenian population
throughout Azerbaijan, ethnic purges in the territories nearby the
NKR and inside the NKR, as well as the large-scale military aggression
against Nagorny Karabakh escalated the conflict. That power politics
has led to today’s status-quo including regarding the territories
under control of the Nagorny Karabakh Republic and the territories
of the NKR under control of Azerbaijan. The negotiation process will
not progress as long as Azerbaijan denies the fact that it deals with
the self-determined and de-facto full-fledged country.

The same parliamentarian says that Armenia has unofficially agreed
to hand over the territories of the security zone to Azerbaijan. In
addition, certain political forces in Armenia also alarm about that.

This statement does not meet reality. In fact, the top leaderships
of the Armenian parties – Republic of Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh
Republic, have repeatedly stated that no issues will be discussed,
much less materialized until the problems with the status of Nagorny
Karabakh and security of the NKR people are settled.

Do you think that Turkey has no way to maneuver to bring the issue
of Karabakh back to the negotiations with Armenia?

Armenia and Turkey have never negotiated on the Karabakh problem.

Moreover, we have not had diplomatic relations. Now normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations is on the agenda. We have enough problems
on top of that and the attempts to link the two processes may torpedo
both processes.

The Turkish representative to the OSCE PA is sure that Yerevan’s stance
has become softer and now it will not oppose Turkey’s co-chairmanship
at OSCE MG if this issue is discussed at the given organization. How
much is that statement justified?

The given statement is groundless and contradicts the real state
of affairs. To become a candidate for the OSCE MG co-chairmanship
a country must have a neutral position to the conflict. Turkey has
never been a neutral country. Therefore, Turkey has no opportunity to
become an OSCE MG co-chair-state. Here is the stance of the Armenian
parties – the NKR and Armenia, and it hasn’t changed. If Turkey’s
stance changes in future and it begins demonstrating neutrality,
maybe, it will be possible to return to this issue. It is groundless
discussing this issue at present. Besides, the statements voiced
by the Turkish representative to the OSCE testify to the opposite
i.e. Turkey demonstrates the same stances as Azerbaijan does.

Do you think that Turkey should change? What does it mean for Turkey
to be "neutral"?

This, at least, means that Turkey will not close eyes on the real
aggressor. This means admitting that Azerbaijan has occupied the
territories of Nagorny Karabakh. This means seeing the interests of
all the parties and admitting that there are refugees on both parties
and declaring that openly without trying to ignore that the NKR is
a party to the conflict enforced by Azerbaijan. Admitting this fact
Azerbaijan would ruin the concept of Baku that the territorial dispute
between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan underlies the conflict.

This concept distorts the real state of affairs. The shortest way for
Turkey to demonstrate its refusal from the policy of supporting and
encouraging Azerbaijan is to recognize the Nagorny Karabakh Republic.

In this case Turkey may probably be able to claim for the OSCE MG
co-chairmanship.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress