Author: Andres-Papazian

IT ISSUES DISCUSSED AT SESSION OF THE COUNCIL SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: Session of the Council Supporting the
Development of Information Technology took place today in the RA
Government chaired by the head of the council, Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan.

Governmental press office told Armenpress that at the beginning of
the session the members of the council were presented the process of
implementation of the assignments tasked during the previous session
after which the participants passed to the discussion of the agenda
issues.

The members of the council were reported about the issues of
organization of “Armtech 2010” conference. The essence of the concept
on formation of electronic society in Armenia was presented. The
prime minister highlighted the creation of the electronic management
council which will deal with the issues of clarification of concept
implementation mechanisms.

CEO of the “Information Technology Enterprises Union” NGO Karen
Vardanyan presented a report on the issue of products of dual
importance and export of technology and their transit transportation
control.

Members of the Council discussed the necessity of making changes in the
law “About the products of dual importance and export of technology
and their transit transportation control”. Tigran Sargsyan tasked to
create a task group which will discuss and present written proposals
on the specification of the procedures of implementation of law and
its improve.

The participants also referred to the issue on internet availability.

From: A. Papazian

RA PRIME MINISTER VISITS EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO CHILDREN’S DAY

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
participated today in the Armenian State Museum of Folk Art in the
opening of an exhibition of folk works dedicated to the International
Children’s Day.

Armenian governmental press service told Armenpress that the exhibition
is conducted under the high patronage of the Prime Minister. It is
organized with the support of the Armenian Culture Ministry, Armenian
State Museum of Folk Art, Artists’ Union, Araratian Patriarchal
Diocese and with the sponsorship of “ArmenTel” CJSC.

Tigran Sargsyan walked around in the halls of the museum and got
acquainted with the works of the self-taught art figures presented
in the branches of painting, sculpture, wood-cutting, embroidery, etc.

From: A. Papazian

A. DAVTYAN, “WE MUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER SOCIETY ACCEPTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALTERNATIVE OR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS”

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: On June 4, the NA Standing Committee on
Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Affairs will bring up for
discussion the issue on opening foreign-language schools in Armenia,
and the experimental conclusion will be clear already on June 7.

Chairman of the mentioned NA committee, member of the Armenian
Republican Party Artak Davtyan said at today’s meeting with journalists
that this does not mean that the adopted version will be applied
in schools just in this appearance, during the summer holidays its
drafting works will continue.

From: A. Papazian

PM RECEIVES STUDENTS-ECONOMISTS

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
received today ten students who became the winners of the “I am
Overcoming the Crisis” students’ report competition.

The competition was declared a year ago organized by the “Mediamax”
agency with the assistance of the Armenian government and Central
Bank. The authors of the best works who are studying in Yerevan State
and Economic Universities presented their evaluations over the economic
situation in Armenia.

In a year the authors of ten best works have got an opportunity to
present to the head of the government their vision of the existing
situation and the further developments. The analyses of the students
have already been placed in web site.

The prime minister considered the competition as an encouraging one,
pointing out that the government will continue supporting it in future
as well.

The students thanked the prime minister for the reception and the
displayed assistance. Afterwards Tigran Sargsyan answered to the
questions they were interested in.

At the end of the meeting the head of the government highlighted the
continuation of such meetings, expressing readiness to discuss with
the students the issues they are interested in.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS MEET

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1, 2010
YEREVAN

Meeting of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev took place today in Rostov-on-Don. Presidential press
office told Armenpress that the leaders of the two countries discussed
a wide-range of issues on Armenian-Russian strategic partnership,
economic cooperation, activation of contacts in the humanitarian
sphere, exchanged thoughts over a number of international and regional
issues.

Welcoming his Armenian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev thanked him for the
participation in the celebrations dedicated to the 65th anniversary
of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. He also presented to
the Armenian President the results of his several meetings with
the European partners in the pre-context of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

Armenian president highlighted such working meetings saying that he
is going to meet with representatives of the Armenian community the
number of which in Rostov-on-Don is quite large.

The Armenian president thanked for the warm reception and for brilliant
organization of the events dedicated to the 65th anniversary of
the victory.

During the meeting the parties also reached arrangement over the visit
of the Russian president to Armenia in August of the running year.

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN, DMITRY MEDVEDEV MEET IN ROSTOV-ON-DON

Panorama.am
18:41 01/06/2010

Politics

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met with Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev in Rostov-on-Don today. The leaders of the two states
discussed a number of issues. According to the official website of
the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev noted that as allies, they
should meet more frequently.

“Actually, so we do. You were here on May 9 to celebrate the victory
against the fascists. I would like to thank you again for being with
us that day, I was pleased, and this shows how close our two countries
are and the dynamics at which the strategic relations between our
countries will be developing in the future,” Medvedev said.

Russian President also informed that during a range of important
meetings he had discussions on a number of issues, including the
Armenian-Turkish normalization process. “I had contacts with some
European partners. I have something to tell and share with you,”
he said.

Armenian President thanked and highlighted the importance of the
working visits. “I think, this is a good format. Once again I thank you
for the invitation and the opportunity to visit this beautiful city,”
S. Sargsyan said. President Serzh Sargsyan also thanked Medvedev for
the invitation to participate in the events dedicated to the 65th
anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Panorama.am recalls that upon the invitation of the Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev, Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan is paying two-day working to
Rostov-on-Don. The President will attend the annual horse race for the
prize of the President of Russia. Armenian President will have meetings
with the leadership of Rostov oblast, as well as the representatives
of the Armenian community of RF Southern Federal Districts.

From: A. Papazian

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: “IT IS DANGEROUS”

A1Plus.am
01/06/10

ARF Bureau member, head of the ARF faction Vahan Hovhannisyan has
noticed more disturbing provisions in Resolution 2216 adopted by the
European Parliament than the provisions that are being talked about.

First, in the resolution authored by Bulgarian Kirilov it is stated
that it is worth replacing France’s co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group
with the European Union’s mandate.

According to Vahan Hovhannisyan, that may violate the Minsk Group’s
principle of balance.

“Time will pass and there will inevitably come a proposal to rotate
the mandate. If it is the mandate of the European Union, then why
France? It could be Britain, Spain, Germany and any other country
within the European Union that will sharply violate the balance
formed in the Minsk Group,” said Vahan Hovhannisyan who says that
may later become a reason for granting a CIS mandate to Russia and
then replacing Russia with, say, Ukraine or Kazakhstan.

“We need to make an effort to not let that happen,” Vahan Hovhannisyan
warned Serzh Sargsyan.

Another danger that Armenia hasn’t seen is that the resolution
proposes to create a Black Sea Union. Vahan Hovhannisyan noted that
that proposal already questions Armenia’s participation in the already
existing Black Sea Economic Cooperation where Armenia is trying to
protect its interests, but is unable and the current proposed union
is simply against Armenia’s interests.

“It is clear that Russia and Turkey will be the ones to promote the
Black Sea Union,” noted Vahan Hovhannisyan, recalling what close ties
between Russia and Turkey mean for Armenia.

Taking into account the government’s claims that such resolutions are
not subject to mandatory fulfillment, how realistic are the dangers?

In response, Hovhannisyan said: “There is a real danger in this
resolution.” As far as the government’s claims are concerned, he said:
“Turkey and Azerbaijan are gathering cases and that will lead to
something one day,” said Vahan Hovhannisyan.

Touching upon some of Armenia’s views on author of Resolution 2216
Kirilov, according to which Kirilov is an imbalanced person, Vahan
Hovhannisyan noted: “Kirilov is very well-balanced, smart and rather
dangerous.”

According to Hovhannisyan, there are three reasons for these
resolutions and the pressure on Armenia: first, the Armenian government
has shown many times that it is ready for concessions even at the
price of its national interests; secondly, the world sees that the
government imposes and implements any draft law or resolution with or
without the consent of the people and political parties and thirdly,
the Armenian government can take a firm stand only if it has strong
backup, but the society doesn’t the current authorities.

There will be change of power

To avoid foreign pressures, ARF faction leader Vahan Hovhannisyan
called on the government to call back its signature under the
Turkey-Armenia Protocols, come to terms with the opposition, hear their
warnings and establish justice in the country. If the authorities
don’t listen to the call, they will continue to make mistakes and
the opposition will continue to fight against them and even lead to
change of power.

“The opposition will continue to correct the mistakes and not let
them happen. If you are asking whether there will be change of power
or not, yes, the opposition will fight against the authorities,”
said Vahan Hovhannisyan.

From: A. Papazian

CIRCLE AROUND NKR IS NARROWING

Lragir.am
01/06/10

Circle is narrowing around the Karabakh issue, said the HAK coordinator
Levon Zurabyan.

Zurabyan noted that after the failure in the Armenian and Turkish
process, international pressure is put only on Karabakh and Armenia.

“In European structures our positions have always been strong, as to
the resolutions on the “occupied areas” they started being adopted in
2005. Before 1998, the conflict was between Azerbaijan and Karabakh
which enabled Armenia stay far from pressure”, says Levon Zurabyan.

“But the international community managed to make a deal with the NKR
president of that time Robert Kocharyan making him the president
of Armenia. Kocharyan, in negotiations, represented both Armenia
and Karabakh, which rendered the conflict an Armenian-Azerbaijani
interstate dispute. The deal stipulated by Robert Kocharyan and
Serge Sargsyan with the international community made Karabakh face
this hard situation. Today the world forgot about the existence of
Nagorno-Karabakh which determines the aggressive response of the
world to the NKR elections”, says Zurabyan.

According to Zurabyan, if Serge Sargsyan did not want to make
concessions in the NKR issue, he would chose the way of national
consolidation, the only path of which is to launch a dialogue with the
opposition and the society, which would create a favorable atmosphere
to resist foreign dangers. Serge Sargsyan, though, prefers reconciling
with Turkey and Azerbaijan but not with his own people.

From: A. Papazian

SAID NOTHING TO SERGE SARSGYAN

Lragir.am
01/06/10

On June 1, ARF faction head Vahan Hovhannisyan was asked about Serge
Sargsyan’s visit to the European Union, in particular about the fact
that during his visit, Serge Sargsyan did not say a single word in
relation to the EP Resolution 2216. Reporters recalled that before
his visit, some officials expected him to dwell on it and to correct
some provisions of it.

“Armenia’s president heads a country which is not a member of the
European Union. The hope for correcting something was absolutely
groundless. He had to only express his opinion and say that he does
not care about that document. He was unable to change an already
adopted document. It is another question that he could give a start
to a new process”, said Vahan Hovhannisyan.

From: A. Papazian

ALIK SARGSYAN’S REVENGE

Lragir.am
01/06/10

On June 1, the director of Haykakan Zhamanak daily Anna Hakobyan said
that the arrest of one of the journalists of the daily, Ani Grigoryan
has a personal and political reason which comes from the Police Chief
Alik Sargsyan. According to her, the reason of Ani’s arrest is that
the Chief of the Police did not like her articles.

Haykakan Zhamanak director told they assess the incident as
Alik Sargsyan’s revenge on Ani in connection with the latest
two publications of the reporter. She says when Ani was taken
to the police, the police officials told each other “this is that
journalist”. One of the officers gives evidences that one day before
the journalist hit him in the face. But how he can know that it was
right Ani, and by coincidence, red berets recognize Ani too and take
to the police, says Anna adding that they knew earlier that the Police
Chief does not like Ani’s articles in which she shows how the Armenian
police copied its anthem from the Georgian one and served it for Alik
Sargsyan’s PR.

Ani Gevorgyan, another journalist of Haykakan Zhamanak Syuzi
Poghosyan, as well as a Hayq reporter Lilit Tadevosyan were taken
to the police from the Freedom Square where they were fulfilling
their professional duties. Syuzi Poghosyan and Lilit Tadevosyan were
later set free, while Ani remained under arrest because of the famous
reason. The editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak Hayk Gevorgyan says
the police violated the rights of people to hold protest actions and
of journalists covering the events without any ground. Hayk Gevorgyan
noted that the Police acted out of the law hence becoming a band.

Haykakan Zhamanak daily gives an advice to the Armenian Chief of
Police, trying to take revenge from the paper, not to enter in this
game with Haykakan Zhamanak, because in case the police do not correct
their mistake and do not set Ani free and do not apologize, hard days
are expecting for Alik Sargsyan, says Anna Hakobyan.

She says they are not going to respond to Alik Sargsyan with the help
of the same methods he uses, but they are going to act within the law.

According to her, if the means of the police is illegality, their
means is the pen. “Let us see who will come out to be stronger”,
says Anna Hakobyan.

By the way, she noted that Ani Gevorgyan is currently in an isolation
cell alone which is positive. The staff of the Haykakan Zhamanak has
already sent her a branch of roses. The staff is sure Ani is a strong
individual and will resist the trial and will soon be released.

From: A. Papazian