Author: Andres-Papazian

A FILM ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE PRESENTED IN THE USA

Aysor.am
Friday,December 10, 2010

On December 10 in the U.S. school of Government after John F. Kennedy
will take place the presentation of the documentary titled “Disaster,
National killings”.

The film is telling about 1915s Genocide realized by the Ottoman
Turkey against the Armenians. The film is based on documents and the
accounts of the eyewitnesses which have been published 90 years later.

After the presentation the authors will be able to talk to the film
director Erik Fredler and the head of the Syriac League of Lebanon
Habib Efram.

From: A. Papazian

AGHVERAN HOSTS INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON BOLOGNA PROCESS

Aysor.am
Friday,December 10, 2010

Three-day international forum under the title “Bologna Process:
Achievements, Problems, Challenges” focusing on education reforms
implemented in Armenia since 2005 kicked off in Aghveran, Kotayk
region of Armenia, today.

The forum hosts over 150 delegates: representatives of the Armenian
Ministry of Education and Science led by Minister Armen Ashotyan,
rectors of Armenian higher education institutions, IT companies,
representatives of international organizations, embassies accredited
to Armenia, students.

Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan addressing the
opening of the event said:

“The Ministry aims to hold an honest informal discussion with its
colleagues addressing current problems. The forum is a good platform
for preparation of national report on the implementation of the
Bologna Process.”

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN TO RECOGNIZE NKR IN CASE OF NEW MILITARY ADVENTURE

Aysor.am
Friday,December 10, 2010

President Serzh Sargsyan declared that Armenia will have to recognize
independence of Nagorno Karabakh if Azerbaijan uses force, Interfax
reports.

“In case of Azerbaijan’s new military adventure in Nagorno Karabakh,
Armenia will have no way out but de jure recognition of Nagorno
Karabakh,” President Sargsyan said at the CSTO Heads of State meeting
in Moscow.

According to President Sargsyan, in that case, “Armenia will support
Nagorno Karabakh people’s security using all available resources.”

The President expressed support for international level resolutions,
particularly, those passed within CSTO and CIS according to which
“peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no
alternative.”

From: A. Papazian

OPPOSITION MARKS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY BY HOLDING RALLY IN YEREVAN

Tert.am
10.12.10

On the occasion of the International Day of Human Rights, the
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) has organized a rally in
the center of Yerevan.

“The International Day of Human Rights is a holiday which is mostly
important for countries where human rights cost almost next to
nothing,” said Aram Manukyan, the board director of the Armenian
Pan-National Movement.

“It took three days to release two political prisoners – Gabriel
Gabrielyan and Felix Gevorgyan,” former Prosecutor General Gagik
Jhangiryan said, adding that the two opposition activists have already
joined the pan-national movement.

Armenian society is to blame for tolerating the gang-rule for ten
years, according to the Head of Democratic Homeland Party, Petros
Makeyan.

“The human rights situation in Armenia is disastrous,” he said in
his speech.

Addressing the protesters, ANC representative David Shahnazaryan said:
“You are the only ones protecting human rights in Armenia”.

ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan said that after the prisoners’ release
their party will continue the struggle, calling for the freedom of
television and the press and reinstating the people’s right to elect
their own government.

From: A. Papazian

HUMAN RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED IN ALL SPHERES IN ARMENIA, SAYS ACTIVIST

Tert.am
10.12.10

There is no single agency in Armenia where one would not encounter
encroachments on human rights, a human rights activist has said.

In a press conference today, Arthur Sakunts, the head of the Helsinki
Citizens Assembly of Vanadzor, said that those who violate human
rights in Armenia are protected and sponsored by law enforcement or
judicial bodies.

“There is no agency in our country where people’s rights are not
violated,” said Sakunts.

“Those who violate [human rights] get the protection and sponsorship
of law enforcement or judicial bodies, said he, adding that nor is
there respect for human rights in Armenia.

Among other human rights violations in the country, Sakunts pointed
to the existence of political prisoners, torture by the police,
as well as non-combat killings of soldiers in Armenia’s military.

This year alone, 42 soldiers have been killed in the army, he added.

Rustam Makhmudyan, advisor to Armenia’s Human Rights Defender , also
present at the press conference, said that the Ombudsman’s Office
has received 4,000 complaints during the year.

Most of the people complain about the police, Yerevan’s Municipality,
judicial bodies, as well about social issues.

He also said that the Human Rights’ Defender should not be expected
to solve all the problems.

“In the process of restoring these rights, we all should be unified,”
said Makhmudyan.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA SHOULD RECOGNIZE NAGORNO KARABAKH BEFORE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM – RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN

Tert.am
10.12.10

Opposition Heritage party leader Raffi Hovhannisian called Friday
a news conference to express his discontent over the parliament’s
disapproval of his party’s draft law on recognizing the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

“I can speak further of my emotions, but life is a struggle and we
must keep fighting,” he said.

Hovhannisian particularly regretted that among parliament members
voting against the bill were people who participated in the heroic
battle of Artsakh.

He stressed the importance of Armenia’s recognizing Nagorno Karabakh
before the 20th anniversary of the independence referendum in the
country. Otherwise, he said, the process may linger, repeating the
history of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“We don~Rt need Azerbaijan’s consent to make such decision. The NKR
authorities must clearly identify what they want from Armenia and
the world community,” Hovhannisian said.

He believes that the National Assembly speaker instructed the
parliament members to reject the bill, while their party was asked
that the voting be postponed until after the OSCE Summit in Astana.

He also complained about the political majority’s predominance in
the country’s political life.

“Politics is a dynamic process, and no one should get the best of
the situation,” he added.

From: A. Papazian

WIKILEAKS HAS17,000 SECRET DOCUMENTS RELATED TO ARMENIA

Tert.am
10.12.10

WikiLeaks has brought a grave accusation against Armenia, the leader
of the New Times party has said.

In a press conference today, Aram Karapetyan said that against the
backdrop of the recent developments the (Armenian) people fail to
remember that the WikiLeaks has brought a grave accusation against
Armenia.

According to him, the WikiLeaks has published 1,709 documents related
to Armenia.

“There are 17,000 documents in the secret archive sent to 1,100
people,” Karapetyan said, without elaborating.

Karapetyan’s remarks come after the WikiLeaks published some documents
related to Armenia.

A document, allegedly a US secret cable, referred to the negotiations
Armenia’s president held with his Russian and Azerbaijani counterparts
in the Russian resort city of Sochi in January 2010.

Another document referred to an alleged arms deal in which Armenia
acted mediator and a transit for delivering the weapons to Iran.

From: A. Papazian

INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND CZECHIA

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 10, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Inter-governmental agreement
was signed between Armenia and Czechia on cooperation in cultural,
educational, scientific, youth and sports sphere. The agreement was
signed by the minister of cultural of RA Hasmik Poghosyan and Czech
ambassador to Armenia Ivan Yestrab.

In his speech the minister noted that the newly-independent Armenia did
not have a contract or agreement with Czechia but developed relations
in the spheres of culture, education and science.

“Cooperation traditions have been created, and I am happy that we
leave our achievements to the coming generations that will develop the
further relations,” she noted. Hasmik Poghosyan said the priorities
in the cooperation will be given to printing, translation programs,
music art, particularly to classic and spiritual song spheres, joint
theatrical programs.

She highlighted the participation of the Armenian delegates in the
“Quadrinale” international festival being organized by the Ministry
of Culture of Czechia on the initiative of UNESCO.

The Czech ambassador said that the agreement testifies that the
relations between Czechia and Armenia are developing in all the
spheres. “It will give us an opportunity to develop our cooperation
more dynamically,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

RAUL DE LUZENBERGER MEETS WITH YSU STUDENTS

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 10, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Raul de Luzenberger, head of the
EU delegation to Armenia, met today with students of Yerevan State
University. He delivered an open lecture on ‘No to Discrimination as
a Priority of EU policy’.

The lecture was organized by the YSU Center for European Studies
(CES) within the framework of the ‘Establishment of Regional Master’s
Program in Human Rights and Democratization’. MA students of the
CES and faculties of law and international relations partook in the
lecture. The event was dedicated to the 62nd anniversary of adoption of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly.

The day is marked in various states of the world. Arthur Ghazinyan,
head of the CES, says it is gratifying that the day is being marked
in Armenia as well. ‘Since the independence of Armenia, the EU has
been investing in the development of human rights and democracy in
our country,’ he said.

Raul de Lucenberger says EU endeavors to support peace and stability
in all over the world and ‘in this matter the EU has been true to
its values’.

‘In the 1950s, 6 states gathered and united several directions of the
state policy: economy was the primary direction,’ Ambassador Raul de
Luzenberger said. He added that for this reason some described the
EU as an ‘economic giant, but a political dwarf’.

‘European states initiated a consistent march, which transformed
the continent from focus of wars into a continent of peace,’ Raul de
Luzenberger said.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly December 10, 1948 at the Palais de
Chaillot in Paris. The Declaration arose directly from the experience
of the Second World War and represents the first global expression
of rights to which all human beings are entitled. The EU promotes
the protection of human rights both within its frontiers and in the
relations with other states.

From: A. Papazian

ALEXANDER GRIGORYAN: YSU HAS OPERATING SYSTEMS OF ENSURING HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 10, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: In the issues of improvement of the
level of education Armenian higher educational establishments move
forward with quite fast steps, Alexander Grigoryan, YSU Vice-rector on
Educational Activities, told Armenpress, adding that some universities,
including the YSU, have operating systems of ensuring high-quality
education. According to him, the participation of Armenian higher
educational establishments in European programs greatly contributes
to working out of reforms.

The delegation of Yerevan State University has lately returned from
German Koblenz city, where it had meetings and discussions at Landau
University within the framework of “Tempus” program of the European
Union. Within the framework of “Tempus” we participate in a new
program, the goal of which is development of self-assessment systems
of education quality.

It is intended for implementation within two years. We had the first
organizational meeting with the participants of the program at Landau
University,” Mr. Grigoryan said.

The pilot experimentation of quality self-assessment system at YSU will
be implemented in journalistic faculty. According to the vice-rector
of Yerevan State University, we must follow the experience of foreign
higher educational establishments.

He also noted that the involvement index of YSU in the educational
programs of “Tempus” is quite high. Yerevan State University
participates in 7 out of the 11 programs implemented with participation
of Armenia.

From: A. Papazian