Author: Andres-Papazian

PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE REPORT ON THE VISIT TO NKR TAKEN PLACE IN FRANCE

Noyan Tapan
30.09.2010 | 21:20

On September 29, a press conference on the report on the June 2010
visit of French parliamentarians to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
took place at the National Assembly of France.

According to the NKR Permanent Representative to France, the report~Rs
author is Francois Roshbluan – Deputy from the Loire Department and
Chairman of the France-Armenia Friendship Parliamentary Group. Pascal
Crozon and Rene Ruke, who had visited Artsakh, also attended the
press conference.

Francois Roshbluan introduced the goals of the French Deputies~R visit,
expressing his gratitude to the NKR authorities for the organization
of the visit and for their cordial reception. The Deputy noted the
visit’s usefulness.

~SThe delegation saw in place how the Karabakh people built their
democratic institutes and civil society~T, said Mr. Roshbluan, noting
that the French parliamentarians had attended the first session of
the NKR newly elected National Assembly.

According to the Deputy, the basic issue of Nagorno Karabakh~Rs
concern today is the international recognition of Karabakh people~Rs
independence.

The role of France and its Parliament in the Karabakh conflict
settlement was also discussed at the press conference.

From: A. Papazian

LAST BULLET POLICY

A1Plus.am
30 Sept 10

Those considering Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s independence as
untimely didn’t show up at today’s discussion on “”For” or “against”
Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s independence” organized by the
Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS). Only
representatives of “Heritage” faction and some experts took part in
the discussion. Regardless of the positions of political parties in
parliament, “Heritage” will put the draft law on Armenia’s recognition
of Karabakh’s independence up for discussion.

“I think Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s independence should not
be like a last bullet policy, but the policy on reinforcing Armenia’s
diplomacy,” “Heritage” MP Armen Martirosyan told “A1+”.

Members of “Heritage” don’t agree that the draft law is untimely or
that Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s independence may impede the
negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

“I partially agree with the authorities when they say that they are
not negotiating, but meeting,” said head of “Heritage” faction Stepan
Safaryan. He doesn’t exclude that Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s
independence is risky, but is certain that there are great benefits
as well.

Attending today’s discussion was expert Manvel Sargsyan. According to
him, Armenians are afraid of talking about Armenia’s recognition. “The
Armenian authorities say the NKR status is not a topic for discussion,
but they are negotiating the issue with Azerbaijan every day,”
says Sargsyan.

The expert suggests that the government recognize Karabakh’s
independence and take the issue of the NKR status out of the
negotiations.

Manvel Sargsyan recalled that time is against Armenia and Karabakh,
while Azerbaijan succeeds in attempting to adopt anti-Armenian
documents at the international level.

From: A. Papazian

NO RALLIES AS LONG AS THERE ARE CAROUSELS

A1Plus.am
30 Sept 10

The Armenian National Congress has not been permitted to hold a rally
at Freedom Square on October 15. Although the events dedicated to
Erebuni-Erevan will be over on those days, Yerevan municipality has
still found another reason.

Secretary of the staff of Yerevan municipality Grigor Melkumyan told
“A1+”: “A discussion was held at Yerevan municipality today. Taking
into account that there will be another event on the same day at the
same hour, which excludes holding an event and guided by Point 2, Part
1, Article 13 of the RA Law on “Meetings, Marches and Demonstrations”,
the municipality has prohibited the ANC from holding a rally at
Freedom Square. Accepting as a basis the provisions prescribed in
international treaties, as well as citizens’ demand for the right
to hold peaceful marches and demonstrations, the municipality has
proposed that the rally be held near the Matenadaran.”

Which is the other event? In response, Grigor Melkumyan mentioned that
on 2010 July 6, head of the central district of Yerevan and citizens
Aram Torosyan and Anahit Movsisyan signed an agreement according to
which there will be carousels and attractions for children at Freedom
Square, that is, what people see at Freedom Square.

Isn’t there an intention to not permit the opposition hold events due
to reasons? In response to that, the municipality representative said:
“If there was an intention, why would the municipality suggest the
area near the Matendaran? The surface areas of both platforms are
7,000 square meters. In addition, you know that the Matendaran is
near Freedom Square.”

Nevertheless, Yerevan municipality was informed about the march to
Freedom Square, Mashtots Avenue, Amiryan Street, Republic Square,
Nalbandyan and Tumanyan Streets.

The Armenian National Congress views the municipality’s decision
as illegitimate.

From: A. Papazian

ANC: “SERZH SARGSYAN WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE”

A1Plus.am
30 Sept 10

Statement by the Armenian National Congress:

“As expected, the revelation and prevention of the regime’s latest
bandit plans against political prisoner, editor-in-chief of “Armenian
Times” newspaper and representative of the Armenian National Congress’s
central office Nikol Pashinyan have raised public concern in Armenian
civil society and the presses.

Not being able to silence the political prisoner, that is, preventing
the publication of his public speeches in the presses, the government
had developed a despicable plan for revenge over him and had used
a ghastly method of cooperating with the criminal world. This is
not the first case of the government’s way of taking revenge over
political prisoners. It catches the eye with its cynicism and shows
that the regime is feeble. The intervention and the society’s active
influence made it possible to prevent the malicious and cowardly plan
against Nikol Pashinyan. However, this doesn’t mean that Pashinyan
and the other political prisoners are safe from becoming the targets
for similar plans and intrigues.

Taking into account that the issues related to all political prisoners
are instructed by Serzh Sargsyan himself or are agreed with him,
the Armenian National Congress announces: Serzh Sargsyan will be
held responsible for any assault against Nikol Pashinyan and other
political prisoners. The Congress calls on legal defense organizations,
media outlets and the entire society to keep them and their problems
in the center of their attention.”

From: A. Papazian

EMBASSY: WHITE HOUSE AND U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DO NOT OBSTACLE MATTHEW BRYZA’S APPOINTMENT AS AMBASSADOR

30 September 2010

The White House and U.S. State Department do not obstacle the
appointment of Matthew Bryza as Ambassador to Azerbaijan, U.S. Embassy
Spokesman Terry Davidson told journalists today.

“The issue of Bryza’s appointment [as the U.S. ambassador to
Azerbaijan] is under consideration of the Senate, and all that we
can do is to wait,” Davidson said.

He said this issue is in the competence of the Senate – an independent
agency of the U.S. government. “There is not other way of appointing
ambassador to Azerbaijan,” Davidson said.

Davidson is sure that the last meeting between Presidents Ilham Aliyev
of Azerbaijan and Barack Obama of the U.S., as well as the senior U.S.

officials’ recent visits to Baku, is evidence to that the relations
between the two countries develop in a positive trend.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination
of the Ex-co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Former Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Matthew Bryza,
as the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan on Sept.22.

Senators on the committee voted 17-to-2. Bryza’s appointment now must
be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President Barack Obama nominated
Bryza as the next U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan in May.

In 2005 Bryza was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs. In this capacity he was responsible
for relations with South Caucasus and Southern Europe, led the U.S.

efforts to resolve conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South
Osetia, coordinated U.S. energy policy in the Black Sea and Caspian
Sea regions.

In 2006-2009, Matthew Bryza served as U.S. co-chair of OSCE Minsk
Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The post of U.S. Ambassador in
Baku has been vacant since the previous ambassador, Ann Derse, left
it in connection with the completion of a term, in July 2009.

From: A. Papazian

REGIME CHANGE STARTS WITH THE PEOPLE, SAYS ARF

Asbarez
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

ASHTARATK, Armenia (ARF Press Office)-“The process of regime change
must start in the provinces,” said Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Supreme Council of Armenia chairman Armen Rustamian Wednesday at a
rally, which local government authorities had not authorized.

The ARF leader kicked off the party’s campaign of rallies in various
provinces “in order for every Armenian citizen to understand the gist
and depth of the ARF’s plan and to support it, so we may be able to
form a national government.”

The speakers at the rally reminded the crowd about the ARF’s commitment
and continued pursuit of socio-economic, social justice and national
issues explaining that the party has always been vocal about these
matters, even when it was part of the ruling coalition.

ARF Bureau member and head of the party’s parliamentary bloc Vahan
Hovennesian explained that the many proposals put forth by the ARF
parliamentary bloc during the discussion of the budget were rejected
by the government, simply because the party is in the opposition.

He explained that several projects in Ashtarak, among them the
renovation of a local kindergarten, refurbishing of roads leading
to other villages and communities, as well as other infrastructure
building proposals were all rejected.

Hovannesian stressed that this problem was not Ashtarak-specific
and all provinces in the country were afflicted by this neglect from
central authorities.

At the conclusion of the rally, a nine-point statement was read
and approved by participants. Among the points highlighted in the
statement were the creation of socio-political structures that
would monitor the activities of provincial leaders and the creation
of infrastructure-strengthening programs based on the needs and
capabilities of each province.

The ARF’s application to hold the rally in Ashtarak was rejected
by local authorities and was appealed by the party at Armenia’s
Administrative Court.

From: A. Papazian

“LORD’S PRAYER” IS NOT ALLOWED IN HOLY CROSS CHURCH OF AKHTAMAR

NEWS.am
September 30, 2010 | 18:32

Civilitas fundation expert and journalist Tatul Hakobyan made a
statement regarding the late September visit to Van, Church of St.
Cross where the Armenians are forbidden to pray and light candles.

“September 26-28, I accompanied a small group of Diaspora Armenians
to Ani, Bayazet, Van, Bitlis, Mush and Kars. On September 26, Sunday,
just a week after the September 19 Mass, Armenians were not allowed to
say the “Lords Prayer” inside the Akhtamar Church of the Holy Cross “.

The whole island and the Church were guarded by the police, who not
only prohibited candle lighting, but also prayer. Belgian tourists
who were visiting the Church, were surprised by the behavior of the
Turkish police: When the “Lords Prayer” was interrupted by force one
of the officers told us that they are instructed not to allow praying
aloud, because it is a museum. The endeavor to explain that praying
is not prohibited even the museum was useless.

I spread this message not to raise anti-Turkish moods, but simply
to keep the Armenian pilgrims know that praying and lighting candles
can only be done outside the Surb Khack Church.

To sum up, in the Cathedral of Ani were the chairman of the
“Nationalist Movement Party” Devlet Bahceli has decided to utter a
namaz is not guarded and one can pray or light candles freely. Church
of the Holy Apostles, which years ago was turned from a museum into
a mosque and almost has no visitors, is referred as Ermeni Kilisesi
(the Armenian Church),” says the journalist in his statement.

From: A. Papazian

Russia-Iran, Failed Deal: Analysts Speak Of Armenia’S Position In The Region
Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow
News | 29.09.10 | 16:13

The deal on delivery of Russian S-300 air defense system to Iran
failed.

Russian expert on political conflicts and member of the Russian Public
Council Maxim Shevchenko has called on Armenians and Azerbaijanis to
avoid the fate of becoming tools in the hands of Western politicians
against authorities in Tehran, as he commented on Russia’s decision
to denounce the contract of delivering the S-300 anti-aircraft missile
system to Iran.

“The situation around Iran has so much complicated the situation in
the region that a collective stifling of Tehran, which is now taking
place, is simply a direct path to war,” said Shevchenko.

“By no means do I support tough sanctions that Russia has set to the
Islamic Republic of Iran because there is no way of development behind
these sanctions. On the other hand, Russia supplies military complexes
to Azerbaijan and Armenia, thereby creating for Iran an illusion
of threat coming from the Caucasus,” said the analyst, adding that
Iran has not only its own direct political interest in the region,
but also maintains relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russia signed a contract to deliver S-300 air defense complexes to
Iran at the end of 2007 and was supposed to deliver five divisions
of S-300PMU-1 systems to the country in the total sum of nearly $800
million. However, on September 22, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
banned that sale.

Meanwhile Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Armenian
Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), believes the
decision had a positive influence on Armenia. After such a decision
Armenia will become the only mediator country, which will regulate
Iran’s relations with the West, because there is a concern of war
between Iran and western countries.

“Armenia became the only military force with a neutral role in the
region and Russia’s only friend and ally,” Giragosian told ArmeniaNow.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy
and National Security of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, did not
exclude that his country would sue Russia and demand compensation.

Meanwhile the United States White House statement says it strongly
welcomes Russia’s president Medvedev’s decision to ban Russian
supplies in line with United Nations sanctions against he Islamic
republic over its nuclear program.

Armenian Political analyst Yervand Bozoyan believe the decision is
not favorable for Armenia, and presupposes that Iran-Turkey relations
will deepen, strengthening Turkey’s role in the region.

From: A. Papazian

SPEAKING IN TONGUES: GOVERNMENT FURTHER MODERATES POSITION IN FOREIGN-LANGUAGE SCHOOL DEBATE
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN

ArmeniaNow
Education | 30.09.10 | 15:17

By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

The draft law on amendments in the law on language has been temporarily
taken off the parliament agenda.

The Armenian Government is no longer pressing for changes in one of
the two laws that would pave the way for opening a limited number
of schools in Armenia teaching curricula in a language other than
Armenian.

Five months after the Government proposed the changes, it now appears
the matter will be dropped from discussion in this current seating
of the National Assembly.

The Government’s initial move to amend the laws was met with strong
opposition by a considerable number of intellectuals, journalists,
politicians and various public groups who say that such changes
threatened the very core of Armenian identity.

Members of the 131-seat National Assembly of Armenia voted in June by
71 yeas to 13 nays to clear, through the first reading, a controversial
package of amendments to the laws ‘On the Language’ and ‘On General
Education’. The package was to go for a second-reading discussion
and voting this fall, possibly in its modified form.

But having given up its intentions to change the Language Law and clear
it through the second-reading vote, the government still appears to
remain adamant in its position that changes and amendments must be
made in the Law ‘On General Education’.

If adopted, these changes will still clear the way for opening 11
alternative schools in Armenia, two of which are planned as non-state
education institutions that will operate in the resort towns of Dilijan
and Jermuk and will teach foreign-language curricula beginning from
the seventh grade up (in the 12-year education system).

The remaining nine foreign-language schools would be set up based
on interstate and intergovernmental agreements and would teach only
beginning from the third level of secondary education, i.e. high
school.

Armenian-related subjects, such as the language, literature, history
of the Armenian people and church at such schools still must be taught
in Armenian, according to the proposed legislation.

The government initiative to amend legislation to clear the way for
foreign-language schools has been a matter of stormy debates in recent
months and even gave rise to a Facebook movement “We Are Against the
Reopening of Foreign-Language Schools”.

Critics, in particular, fear that the removal of the ban on
foreign-language education reflects the desire to restore primarily
Russian-language education, which was banned in Armenia’s state schools
in the early 1990s shortly after the country gained independence. By
that time, a considerable number of people in Armenia had completed
secondary education in Russian, the state language in the former
Soviet Union that was required for any successful career.

Opponents of the bill also have concerns that the statutory changes
accentuate the “inferior” nature of Armenian as compared to other
languages and fear that Armenians taught in a foreign language will
lose the ability to have “an Armenian language-mentality”.

The government, meanwhile, believes a limited number of such schools
will only help raise the quality of general education in Armenia and
will also allow Armenia to borrow extensively from the experience of
foreign and international educators working in Armenia.

Strong criticism from those who oppose the initiative even prompted the
initiators of an international school in Dilijan, a project planned
for 2013, to address a letter to the Public Council of Armenia,
stating that they are “seriously considering the suspension of work
on the project” as in the current situation they “do not view it as
feasible to develop the project, as it is fundamentally incorrect to
create a school in an atmosphere that rejects it.”

Dilijan project officials are likely to announce their final decision
after the next reunion of the school’s Board of Trustees scheduled
for October.

Discussion of changes in the law began soon after the announcement
of a $60-million project for an international school in Dilijan, and
groundbreaking took place in April and was attended by the initiator,
Moscow-based Armenian tycoon Ruben Vardanyan, and Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan.

This led the pressure group opposed to the changes to assume that it
is this project that, in particular, triggered the whole initiative
on amending the laws.

Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan said during parliamentary
hearings on the subject held on Monday that if the package of
legislative changes is adopted the first school with subjects taught
in a foreign language is likely to open in Armenia as early as in
2012 or 2013.

Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, in turn, said that the issue is
so delicate that it requires a comprehensive review.

“Our task is to preserve the national image, the language and
continuity, avoid another assimilation and risks of alienation, on
the other hand [our task is] not to limit international cooperation,
the exchange of experience in educating generations, to be flexible
in the matter of organizing education, to be capable of rapidly
responding and staying competitive,” said the parliament speaker.

Abrahamyan suggested defining in the Law ‘On General Education’ notions
like “Alternative Education Program”, “Author’s Education Program”,
“Experimental Education Program” and “International Education Program”,
as well as to maintain the principle of limiting the establishment
and regional quotas for institutions of general education teaching
alternative educational curricula.

Members of the civil group “We Are Against the Reopening of
Foreign-Language Schools” who attended the hearings appeared
unconvinced and voiced their dissatisfaction even after this new
concession.

They said they were against opening any kind of school teaching in
a foreign language in Armenia and that no changes should be made in
the Law ‘On General Education’ either.

The proposed changes in the law are unlikely to come up for parliament
discussion at the coming session period pending further elaboration.

From: A. Papazian

TRASH TALK: APPROVED AMENDMENT COULD SEE GARBAGE COLLECTION FEES RAISED FIVE FOLD
Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow
Social | 30.09.10 | 16:12

If a Government-approved draft law passes reading in the National
Assembly, the cost of garbage collection could increase by five times
for residents of Yerevan.

Currently, each resident is charged only about 55 cents a month for
the service. Yet in August, the Government of Armenia approved to amend
the law ‘On Garbage Removal and Sanitary Cleaning’. Under the amended
law, the amount of trash-collection tariffs could be determined by
community administration officials, based on whether the consumer
is a business or an ordinary resident. The change would give more
leeway to local heads, a long-term goal in the de-centralization of
Armenia’s government structure.

Under such a new scheme it is considered that the fee would rise
to 1,000 drams (about $3) per resident. And while the utility may
still seem cheap by some standards, it is nonetheless a significant
hike for families on budgets. (It is worth noting, too, that current
garbage collection service is sub-standard by almost any measure.)

The total amount of bills for a seven-member family of the Abrahamyans,
for example, having 200,000 drams ($552) monthly income, is about
40,000 drams ($110), of which 1,400 drams (about $4) is charged for
trash collection. If the garbage bill rose, they would have to pay
7,000 drams ($20) monthly. This, too, after recent hikes in water
and gas prices.

Family matriarch Irina Galstyan, 59, tells ArmeniaNow that such a
dramatic increase would have a severe impact on families such as hers.

She says a drastic price increase – meant to subsidize better trash
service — would lead to worse sanitary conditions.

“The person who is not able to pay, will not pay in case the bill is
raised, either, and the amount of garbage will increase,” she says.

Predictably, the proposed amendment has been met with displeasure
by residents. But it also has opposition in the National Assembly,
including Hovhannes Margaryan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee
on Territorial Management and Local Self-Government. He and some
colleagues have argued that the maximum collection fee should be 400
drams (about $1.10) per inhabitant – (twice the current amount).

Assembly deputies who oppose the draft law were asked to submit
their written suggestions for further discussion during the next
committee session.

From: A. Papazian