Author: Andres-Papazian

EXCAVATIONS CARRIED OUT IN EREBUNI FORTRESS SUMMED UP

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian-French joint expedition has
summed up the excavations carried out in Erebuni fortress. Director
of “Erebuni” historical-archeological reserve-museum Gagik Gyurjyan
said today at a meeting with journalists that the excavations pursued
three main goals – archeological excavations, restoration of the
parts damaged during the excavations just on place and solving of
educational issues, that is, involvement of students both from the
Armenian and French parties in the works.

Still from 2008 “Erebuni” historical-archeological reserve-museum
has implemented scientific and technical cooperation with French
specialists having a goal to contribute to expansion of the scientific
recognition of the historical site, to safe preservation of remains,
and to other cultural ideas. The French party of the Armenian-French
expedition has concentrated its efforts mainly on the excavations
of the monumental temple of Khald. “We are especially interested
in the temple of Khald, and our goal is to restart the excavations,
but in quite other methods.

The most important in these excavations is the correct dating. It is
evident that the town has been founded by Urartian King Argishti I,
but there are structures, which need studies,” head of the French
party Stefan Desham said. G. Gyurjyan attached importance to these
excavations especially in regard that quite many specifications have
been made.

Though in the Urartian studies the territory of Urartu is considered
to be the surrounding of Van town, nevertheless, the fortress proved
that after the period of Van Erebuni was one of the powerful strategic
fulcrums of the state in Ararat Valley and defended the northern
borders of the country. The excavations have started June 7. The French
specialists will continue them till June 18. After their departure
the excavations will be continued, and as the Frenchmen promised,
in case of opportunity they will return for new studies.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTER RECEIVES SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE STATUS OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Justice Minister Gevorg
Danielyan received today the delegation headed by Margaret Sekaggya,
special rapporteur on the status of UN Human Rights Defenders. Press
Secretary of the Armenian Justice Ministry Lana Mshetsyan told
Armenpress that during the meeting, in addition to other issues,
Margaret Sekaggya was interested in the bill on making changes and
amendments in RA law on “NGOs”.

Gevorg Danielyan answered to questions exciting the guests, numerated
the implemented steps and results registered in the mentioned spheres,
attaching importance to their continuous nature and positive shift. At
the end of the meeting Margaret Sekaggya expressed gratitude for
the provided comprehensive information and asked the minister to
display support in translating the declaration on UN ombudsmen into
the native language.

From: A. Papazian

HEADMASTERS, BREAKING THE ORDER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE MINISTER, MAY BE DISMISSED

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: The process of investigation of the
cases on the graduation of external students of senior classes of
secondary schools started February and is expected to end July. In
answer to the question of a reporter, RA Education and Science
Minister Armen Ashotyan said that the State Department of Education
carried out great work in the direction of revealing those students,
who left their school in that way.

As to the question on the appearance of the graduates in examination
rooms, Mr. Armen Ashotyan mentioned that the process required great
efforts, work and time, so it was impossible to avoid mistakes or
omissions. Nonetheless, the issue will be solved in favor of those
schoolchildren; they will be granted the opportunity to graduate from
their schools. As to the school headmasters, who broke the order of the
Minister, they will be punished in accordance with the corresponding
article of RA Labor Code.

The issue of the dismissal of several headmasters is currently under
discussion; their cases have been sent to RA Prosecutor General’s
Office. Over 39 such applicants have been removed from examination
rooms.

From: A. Papazian

THE NEXT CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THEATRE CRITICS TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 15, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS: The 25th Congress of UNESCO’s
International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) will be held in
Armenia June 15-20, 2010. ‘During these five days the congress will
not only discuss the main problems of the international theatre, the
initiatives of the theatrical art, but also make assessments about
the Armenian theatre. Due to these prominent experts, the Armenian
theatrical art may be recognized abroad,’ Deputy Minister of Culture
of Armenia Arthur Poghosyan said at today’s meeting with journalists.

Over 65 theatre critics and theatrical journalists have arrived in
Armenia from 30 countries. They are expected to make assessments about
the contemporary theatrical processes of Armenia, then return to their
countries and publish articles in any famous journal or newspaper. ‘It
is the first time such an event is organized in Armenia. We stress
the importance of the opinions of international theatrical critics
about the modern Armenian theatre. This is quite important not only
for the present, but also for the future.

This is the reason we intend to publish a guide of the opinions of the
critics. I think this is even the most important current theatrical
event in Armenia,’ President of the Armenian Theater Worker’s Union
Hakob Ghazanchyan noted. The International Association of Theatre
Critics, founded in Paris in 1956, is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization, benefiting under statute B of UNESCO. The IATC joins
together more than two thousand theatre critics, through some fifty
National Sections.

The goal of the IATC is to bring together theatre critics in order
to promote the international cooperation. Its principals are to
foster theatre criticism as a discipline and to contribute to the
development of its methodological bases; to protect the ethical and
professional interests of theatre critics and to promote the common
rights of all its members; and to contribute to reciprocal awareness
and understanding between cultures by encouraging international
meetings and exchanges in the field of theatre.

The IATC holds world congress every two years, conducts workshops
for young critics twice a year, as well as organizes symposiums and
tributes to juries. The 25th congress in Armenia is being held at the
initiative of RA Ministry of Culture and Armenian Theater Worker’s
Union. ‘The implementation of the congress is quite important to
the Armenian theatre, which is, unfortunately, not familiar to the
international community. The congress will grant the opportunity to
represent the Armenian theatre to the world,’ President of the IATC
Mr Yun-Cheol Kim noted.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI MP: ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAS INADEQUATE PERCEPTION OF REALITY

Today
June 14 2010
Azerbaijan

“The statements by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbanian have
signs of inadequate perception of reality,” Azerbaijani Member of
Parliament Fazil Mustafa said commenting on Armenian FM’s statements
he made in country’s parliament recently.

The MP says absolute rigidity in statements in not characteristic
for normal politicians.

“Nalbandian’s statement is typical of Armenian politicians with flawed
worldview. Who else might say for sure what will happen in such
an unpredictable region like the South Caucasus in the future? The
situation may radically change in this region in a very short time. If
Nalbandian does not understand this, it means he has problems in
perception of reality,” the MP said.

Mustafa says that Armenia is losing all the attributes of an
independent state.

“Such a policy is fraught with significant challenges in the
international arena. The fact that Armenia has not yet responded
to updated Madrid principles shows that the policy of this state
remains unchanged. These policies will work against Armenia in the
near future.”

The parliamentarian also expressed regret over the principle of
“double standards” that still exist in the world. According to the MP,
sanctions are imposed against Iran very easily urging the country
to comply with international law while the same principle is not
demonstrated in relation to Armenia.

“But the policy of double standards comes to an end, and when that
happens, Armenia will have to reckon with international law,”the
Azerbaijani MP added.

From: A. Papazian

LILIT GALOYAN IN MARX’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Aysor
June 14 2010
Armenia

On August 5 – 15 Lilit Galoyan will participate in the 8th memory
tournament of Dyord Marx taking place in the Pacs city of Hungary. As
the Armenian Chess Federation informs the Armenian chess player’s
rivals are world champions Gamprindashvili (Georgia), Kononenko
(Ukraine), Madle, Vayda and Tot (Hungary).

From: A. Papazian

GABRIEL SARKISIAN AMONG LEADERS AT RUY LOPEZ INT. FEST IN SPAIN

Aysor
June 14 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s Grand Master Gabriel Sarkisian has taken the leading position
after scoring 1,5 points in two rounds of the Ruy Lopez International
Festival, taking place from June 11 to 19 in Villafranca de los
Barros, Spain.

Gabriel Sarkisian won over Pia Cramling and then played in drew with
Ivan Salgado.

It’s worth mentioning that Cheparinov, Candelario, Sarkisian and
Salgado out of eight chess players, participating in the champs,
are holding the 1-4th places at 1,5 points. Cori and Malakhov scored
a point each. Pérez Candelario and Pia Cramling have no points yet
and are last-seeded.

From: A. Papazian

WORLD’S OLDEST LEATHER SHOE UNEARTHED IN ARMENIA

Regional Times

June 14 2010

WASHINGTON: It might not be by Prada, and you won’t see its like in
Bloomingdale’s. But if you’d been seen stepping out of a cave some
5,500 years ago, your leather shoes would have been literally high
fashion indeed, way up in the Armenian mountains.

A brown leather lace-up unearthed in eastern Armenia has been dubbed
the oldest leather shoe ever found, predating the Great Pyramid of
Giza by 1,000 years and 400 years older than Stonehenge.

Made from a single piece of cowhide, it’s in such good condition that
even the leather laces are still intact, thanks to the cave’s cool
and dry conditions. It was even found stuffed with grass, either to
keep the foot warm or to serve as a kind of shoe tree.

Archaeologists have concluded that the shoe was made for the right
foot. Its small size — the equivalent of a U.S. woman’s size 7 —
suggests it was worn by a woman, but researchers say it could also
have fitted a man of those times. “This is great luck,” said the
archaeologist who led the research team, Ron Pinhasi of University
College Cork in Ireland.

“We normally only find broken pots,” he told newsmen, but discovering
the shoe “gives us a real glimpse into society.” In the study’s
findings published in the journal PLoS One, Pinhasi said the good
condition of the shoe and other objects found in the cave, unearthed
near the border with Turkey and Iran, made them think they were about
600 to 700 years old.

But after samples of the shoe were radiocarbon-dated at Oxford
University and the University of California-Irvine, “we discovered
that the shoe dated back to 3,500 B.C. and that it was the oldest
leather shoe. We were very excited,” Pinhasi said. The shoe is
older than those found on the mummified remains of “Otzi the Iceman”
discovered in 1991 in the Alps on the Austria-Italy border. He lived
about 5,300 years ago.

In some ways, Pinhasi said, the shoe is similar to the so-called
“pampooties” worn on the Aran Islands in the west of Ireland until
the 1950s. The other objects found included a broken pot and horns
of either goats or sheep, which along with the shoe were covered in
a thick layer of sheep dung, effectively acting as a preservative.

“We do not know yet what the shoe or other objects were doing in the
cave or what the purpose of the cave was,” Pinhasi told London’s Daily
Mail. “We know that there are children’s graves at the back of the
cave, but so little is known about this period that we cannot say with
any certainty why all these different objects were found together.”

The cave is on the edge of the so-called Fertile Crescent, credited
with being home to the world’s first towns and farms. The shoe may have
been made locally or traded with towns and villages in Mesopotamia,
Pinhasi told the Mail.

From: A. Papazian

10-12 PERCENT INCREASE IN ARMENIA’S CONSTRUCTION SECTOR EXPECTED

news.am
June 14 2010
Armenia

A 10-12 percent increase in Armenia’s construction sector is expected
this year, RA Minister of Urban Development Vardan Vardanian told
journalists. However, he found it difficult to forecast any increase
in the private construction sector – or construction can survive only
under state programs, the Minister said.

Last year, 36.4% decline was registered in Armenia’s construction
sector, the largest decline in the Armenian economy. This
January-April, an 8.8% increase was registered.

Minister Vardanian pointed out a number of construction projects
that have not been completed for lack of funds. The project owners
have to present well-founded applications for the funds necessary
for completing the projects for the ministry to submit them to the
Government.

From: A. Papazian

DEMAND FOR ARMENIAN AND TURKISH FLAGS UP IN ISRAEL

news.am
June 14 2010
Armenia

The leading Israeli flag manufacturer refuses to take orders for
flags that have to be burnt during anti-Turkish demonstrations.

According to the head of the factory Avi Maroma, Turkish flags
have become more popular for burning since the Turkish flotilla
was attacked.

Flag manufacturers are against such symbolic acts, he said. As a
professional, and a person whose wife is of Turkish origin, Maroma
is well aware of what flag burning signifies in their country. It
means exceeding all bounds, Avi Maroma said.

The demand for Israeli flags has increased among demonstrators as well.

A new tendency has lately been observed in Israel: citizens fly
Israeli and Armenian flags on their houses. Probably, this is done
to spite Turkey, as no pro-Armenian moods have been registered in
Israel so far, ZMAN.com reported.

From: A. Papazian