Author: Andres-Papazian

Armenia Rejects Report Turkey May Open Border

asbarez
Friday, July 16th, 2010

Turkey-Armenia border crossing

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) – Armenian officials on Friday were quick to dismiss a
report that Turkey is considering temporarily opening its border with
Armenia for a NATO disaster-relief exercise in September, RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service reports.

The AFP news agency quoted an unnamed Turkish diplomat as saying
Ankara has decided to participate in an exercise to be held in
Armenia’s central Kotayk region by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster
Response Coordination Center.

The drills, scheduled for September 11-17, are expected to bring
together up to 1,000 participants from two dozen NATO member and
partner states. They will simulate a multinational response to a
powerful earthquake resulting in a humanitarian and environmental
disaster.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 out of solidarity with
Azerbaijan and has since made its reopening conditional on a
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that is acceptable to its
closest Turkic ally.

Ankara has stuck to this linkage even after signing last October’s
agreements with Yerevan to unconditionally normalize Turkish-Armenian
relations.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry refrained from officially commenting on
the possibility of a temporary border opening. But a diplomatic source
in Yerevan shrugged off the Turkish statement as `a public-relations
stunt aimed at burnishing Turkey’s image.’

`Armenia has no desire to contribute to that effort,’ the source, who
asked not to be identified, told RFE/RL. The Armenian government might
refuse to let any personnel or vehicles enter the country from Turkey
during the exercise, he added.

From: A. Papazian

Film about Nagorno-Karabakh shown in France

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The Arte French-German TV channel showed
July 14 a 42-minute film about Nagorno-Karabakh. An official from the
Permanent Representation of the NKR to France told Armenpress that the
shown film is a part of the cycle of films under the heading `The
Mountains of the World’. The director of the picture is Jean-Marie
Barre. Seven days after showing, the film will be available in French
and German at the following links of the Arte TV channel website:

(French)
(German).

From: A. Papazian

The longest cable way of the world to operate in Tatev from October

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The cable way being constructed as part
of the `Tatev Revival’ program will be put into operation in October
of the running year. Press officer of the Armenian National
Competitiveness Foundation Zara Amatuni told Armenpress that the cable
way will have two stations which will be located near Halidzor and
Tatev villages.

Zara Amatuni said currently it is the longest cable way in the world
the length of which is 5.7 km. The construction works launched in the
autumn of the past year. The route of the cable way is 12 minutes,
20-25 people may be roomed there. The greatest privilege is that the
cable way will function both in summer and winter.

`Tatev Revival’ program though will not be accomplished with the
construction of the cable way only. During that period a part of
Tatev’s roads will be reconstructed and the other part renovated.

Still from the past year the Competitiveness Foundation initiated
`Tatev’s Revival’ program within the framework of which it is intended
to restore Tatev’s monastic complex and nearby territory as well as
built a hotel, develop infrastructures and work out tourism types like
`culinary tourism’ directionsd.

From: A. Papazian

The flow of tourists into the NKR is increasing

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The interest of foreign citizens in the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic is increasing. According to the Consular
Service of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total number of
foreign citizens, who visited the Republic in the first half-year of
2010, increased by 45% compared with the similar period of 2009.

NKR MFA Press Service told Armenpress that the geography of the
tourists keeps expanding. Considerable part of the tourists make
citizens of the USA, France, Iran, Great Britain, Holland,
Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Poland, and the CIS states. Special
interest in Artsakh is displayed by representatives of the Armenian
Diaspora of various states worldwide.

The tourists mainly visit the town of Shushi, the Gandzasar, Amaras,
Dadivank Monasteries, and the ancient town of Tigranakert.

From: A. Papazian

Twenty five people apply for getting asylum in Armenia

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: In the first half of the running year 25
people applied to the State Migration Service of the Armenian
Territorial Administration Ministry for getting asylum in Armenia.
Chief specialist of the asylum affairs of the service Ruzanna
Petrosyan told Armenpress that eight of the applicants are from Iraq,
the rest from Iran and African countries. If in case of Iraq the
applicants are of Armenian decent, in case of Iran and African
countries they are representatives of other nations.

R. Petrosyan said as compared with previous years the number of
applicants from Iraq has notably decreased. From December of the past
year applicants from African countries appeared.

All the applicants receive certificate for temporary settlement with a
three-month term, after which, according to the order, the application
is being examined and a decision is being made on giving asylum right.
Nine applications received from Iran and African countries have
already been rejected. The rest are in process.

From: A. Papazian

In September the Yerevan Zoo to have new animals

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: In September the Yerevan Zoo will have 2
species of monkeys, a deer and a Capricorn. Director of the Zoo Sahak
Abovyan told Armenpress that these animals will be acquired in barter
principle. Instead, the Yerevan Zoo will give birds. The animals will
be brought from Ukrainian Zoo.

The director of the Zoo said that all the couple animals in spring and
summer had babies and the hot weather did not cause loss of any animal
though it is not favorable for keeping the animals.

The number of visitors has sharply reduced because of weather
conditions. `In spring the number of visitors reduced because of rains
and now because of hot weather,’ S. Abovyan said, noting that the
financial means provided by the Yerevan municipality are enough for
the food for animals and to meet other necessary expenses for taking
care of the animals.

From: A. Papazian

Issues of Criminal Executive Establishments of RA Justice Ministry on
Focus of RA Government

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The Government of Armenia will undertake
works in the direction of improving the criminal executive
establishments of RA Justice Ministry, according to Vaghinak
Kocharyan, deputy head of RA Justice Ministry’s department on criminal
executive establishments.

At today’s discussion Arman Danielyan, head of the `Civil Society
Institute’ NGO, said that the observation group, organized by the
institute, visited all the criminal executive establishments of the
republic and found out that most of them are overpopulated: 18
prisoners are kept in the jail cells, which are intended for 10 ones.
Over 5000 prisoners are kept in the criminal executive establishments
of Armenia. `Overpopulated prisons bring to other issues. The
situation is very complicated in Nubarashen Jail, where the prisoners
sleep by turns,’ he added.

Laura Gasparyan- doctor, involved in the observation group- says the
overpopulation of prisons causes a lot of conflicts. She added that
the jail cells do not have air condition system. `It has a negative
influence under condition of hot weather. This causes health problems
among prisoners,’ Laura Gasparyan stated.

In answer to the complaints, Vaghinak Kocharyan mentioned that though
Nubarashen Jail is overpopulated, they do their best to improve the
living conditions of the prisoners. `The overpopulation is connected
with the rise in number of crimes,’ he noted.

Vaghinak Kocharyan added that RA Government will go on undertaking
works for the improvement of conditions and reconstruction of criminal
executive establishments. He reminded that `Artik’, `Vardashen’ and
`Vanadzor’ jails have been thoroughly reconstructed recently. He
assured that all the criminal executive establishments of the republic
are supplied with the necessary hygienic conditions and medications.

`No doubt there are a lot of issues in this sphere. All of them should
be solved gradually. We are for discussions, which reveal the existing
issues and promote the solution of the problems,’ Vaghinak Kocharyan
said.

From: A. Papazian

Seminar on National Symbols, Independent Statehood and Armenian
Language conducted

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Center for National and
International Studies (ACNIS) convened a roundtable discussion today,
entitled `National symbols, independent statehood and Armenian
language,’ focusing on the Armenian language as a foundation for
Armenian statehood and independence. The meeting brought together
leading analysts, policy specialists, public and political figures,
including the head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Sergey
Kapinos, as well as NGO representatives, and members of the press.

After welcoming the participants, ACNIS Director Richard Giragosian
noted that `today, the Armenian society can no longer remain a
spectator and its voice needs to be heard by the decision makers.’

Karine Hakobian, art critic and publicist, then discussed the matter
of cultural identity as a pillar for the formation of an independent
and a national state, and stressed that the Armenian language is the
axis of that identity. `Ever since the early 1990s, an insufficient
importance was placed on the role that culture, language, and national
symbols play in the establishment of independent statehood. As a
result, the studying of artistic heritage and the challenge of
national self-consciousness became a derivative, and this brought
about today’s reality, when the Armenian language could turn into a
scapegoat for the current inconsolable state of education in the
country,’ Hakobian maintained.

The second speaker, Director Ruzan Sarian of the Sarian Museum,
presented the history behind the creation of the second Armenian
republic’s coat of arms. According to Sarian, this crest, which was
created by the great Armenian painter Martiros Sarian, had placed a
strong emphasis on Mt. Ararat as the main symbol. Sarian also quoted
Simon Vratsian, the last prime minister of the first Republic of
Armenia, who had criticized the first republic’s cote of arms as being
a `unification of symbols that have no connection with the Armenian
identity.’

The roundtable discussants also included Raffi K. Hovannisian; analyst
Garegin Chugaszian; culture specialist Lala Mneyan; ethnographer Levon
Abrahamian; and several others.

The presentations were then followed by a series of questions and
answers, and featured a lively exchange with the audience. At the end
of the roundtable, numerous attendees joined an initiative group’s
movement against the establishment of foreign-language schools in
Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

Delegation of Congress of Armenians of Western Armenia Partakes in UN
Session on Rights of Indigenous Peoples

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenak Abrahamyan, chairman of the
Congress of the Armenians of the Western Armenia, and other 5 members
of the Congress partook in the UN third session on the rights of
indigenous peoples. The session was held June 12-14 in Geneva.

Artak Movsisyan, associate professor of YSU Chair of the Armenian
History, was involved in the delegation of the congress as an
expert-historian. He said in an interview to Armenpress that the
delegation presented a package of documents on the `Origin of the
Armenian Nation’, `Destruction of the Historical Monuments of the
Western Armenia and Confiscation of Estate’, `The Armenian Genocide:
Documents and Agreements’, `The Genetic Resources of the Western
Armenia’.

Armenak Abrahamyan, chairman of the Congress of the Armenians of the
Western Armenia, addressed a speech on the first day of the session
and touched upon the issue of the relations between states and
indigenous peoples. He also mentioned about the facts of destruction
of the Armenian historical monuments in the Western Armenia and
Nakhichevan. On the second day of the session the Armenian delegation
met with James Annaya, UN special reporter on the rights of the
indigenous peoples, and represented the Armenian issues. On the same
day the delegation had the opportunity to present the Armenian
national music and dance to the 300 delegates of the session.

The delegation partook in all the works of the session and presented 2
suggestions. The first suggestion, made by Artak Movsisyan, implies
establishment of UN committee of independent experts for the
discussion of the issues of forcibly displaced indigenous peoples.
According to the suggestion, the committee will become a medium
between the indigenous peoples and the states, which occupied their
territory. The second suggestion, presented by Armenak Abrahamyan,
touches upon the issues of the return of forcibly displaced indigenous
peoples.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia Partakes in 57th International Industrial Exhibition of Damascus

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: The 57th Damascus International
Industrial Exhibition, in which Armenia takes part, opened July 14. An
official from the press and information department of RA Foreign
Affairs Ministry told Armenpress that the guides and advertising
materials about more than 20 Armenian companies, among them `Jermuk
Group’, `Dilijan’, `Arzni’, `Royal Armenia’, `Sigarone’, were
presented at the Armenian pavilion.

After the opening ceremony Prime Minister of Syria Muhammad Naji
al-Otari, representatives of the Syrian Government, a number of
diplomats and journalists visited the Armenian pavilion. During the
brief meeting with Ambassador of Armenia Arshak Poladyan the Syrian
Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction about the participation of
Armenia in such a serious international event and mentioned that it
will promote the development of the Armenian-Syrian trade-economic
relations.

The speakers underscored the necessity of deepening the
Armenian-Syrian trade-economic cooperation. The visitors of the
Armenian pavilion showed a great interest in the goods of the Armenian
industry, especially in the mineral water. More than 50 countries from
Europe, Middle East, Asia and South America partake in the 57th
Damascus International Industrial Exhibition.

From: A. Papazian