Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH EUROPEAN OFFICIALS IN STRASBOURG

Tert.am
22.06.11

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is attending the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) summer session in Strasbourg,
held meetings with several European officials.

Sargsyan met with PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu. He also met with
Armenia co-rapporteur John Prescott and the Council of Europe Human
Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammrberg. Later in the day, Sargsyan
will hold a joint news conference with CE Secretary General Thorbjorn
Jagland , then address the PACE session.

From: Baghdasarian

CHP READY TO NEGOTIATE WITH ARMENIA WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS

Hurriyet
June 21 2011
Turkey

The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.

Turkey’s ruling and main opposition parties are ready to normalize
relations with Armenia and open the border, but the two are on
conflicting sides of the debate over preconditions for negotiations.

“We are ready to negotiate with Armenians without preconditions,”
Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP,
told a group Turkish, Armenian and U.S. journalists late Monday. The
statement in response to a question from a U.S. journalist who said the
CHP’s policy regarding ties with Armenia was not different from that
of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, as both parties
were putting Armenia’s withdrawal from disputed Nagorno-Karabakh as
a condition.

“The difference between us and the AKP is that we see a possible
withdrawal as a gesture, not a condition,” said Osman Koruturk,
deputy leader of the CHP and former ambassador. Kılıcdaroglu added:
“No one can say that I agreed with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on this issue.”

Meanwhile, speaking to a group of Turkish and Armenian journalists
in a separate program, State Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Egeman
BagıÅ~_ said Turkey and Armenia had the chance to work together in
order to prevent people, nations and countries from suffering more
in the future. “The closed Turkey-Armenia border can be opened the
day after Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on Nagorno Karabakh,” he said.

Bagis said Turkey wants zero problems with its neighbors and wants
its neighbors to have zero problems with their neighbors, too.

“We want a permanent solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” said
Bagis, adding that if they reached a solution, many opportunities would
arise in the region and it would be to the interest of all countries.

Asked when the border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened,
Bagis said that he thought it would be opened one day after Armenia
and Azerbaijan shook hands.

More neighbors, more problems

Main opposition leader Kılıcdaroglu also hit out at the government’s
“zero problems with neighbors” policy, overtly talking about
multi-problems with neighbors with the developments now unfolding
in Syria.

“They set out with the slogan of zero problems with our neighbors.

There is no situation of zero problems with any of our neighbors,”
said Kılıcdaroglu late Monday.

“We have multiple problems with our neighbors. Now no neighbor is left
without any problem. Syria was the one we had the least problems and
now you see the situation,” said Kılıcdaroglu.

He listed the areas of conflicts with Turkey’s neighbors. “We were
supposed to be a so-called mediator for a settlement to Iran’s
nuclear dispute. Brazil was there and we were left alone,” said the
party leader.

“The problems with Iraq continue as it was before. The relations with
the European Union were good in the first term of the AKP government
but in the second term, they were entirely suspended. We couldn’t
overcome any problem. As the CHP we are placing importance on EU ties.

We believe determined efforts need to be exerted for full membership.”

Kılıcdaroglu confessed that the CHP could not make a radical
criticism of the AKP’s foreign policy during the election campaign.

“The reason for this, however, foreign policy is directly the problem
of ordinary people but we criticize if any questions are asked to me
about foreign policy during newspaper interviews and TV programs,”
he said.

‘Media under pressure’

The CHP leader hinted at serious zigzags in the AKP’s foreign policy.

“For example, (the prime minister) first said what business NATO has
in Libya and the next day we sent war ships to NATO. The problem is
this. The Turkish media is under pressure,” argued Kılıcdaroglu.

“AKP cannot be criticized by the media. If it is criticized, they are
either shut down or jailed. The AKP introduces this as progressive
democracy.”

Asked if the CHP comes to power, it would direct toward the EU or
make a synthesis of the East and the West, the CHP leader said:
“We are placing importance to our relations with the EU but we
cannot ignore Russia, China and India. The balances in the world
are changing. There is a need for principled and healthy policy in
compliance with changing balances.”

Syria unrest

The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.

“But we are receiving contradictory information from the opposition
and pro-government people. We believe that democracy and freedom
should come to the Middle East, not through outside pressure but the
countries’ internal dynamics,” said Kılıcdaroglu.

“The media and intellectuals in those countries should be supported…

For the emergence of such pressure, the United Nations should be
involved more than NATO.”

Libya strife

The CHP leader also criticized the transfer of 54 billion dollar fund
to the use of the opposition.

“I would really like to learn the answer of this question. 54 billion
dollars money were put in the European banks much before Qaddafi was
there as a dictator in those days. Why then this money was accepted
to the European banks?” he asked.

“And now Libya has been divided into two. I wonder if dividing this
country into two through armed interference from outside will bring
democracy and freedom to this country.”

From: Baghdasarian

EU CRITICIZED TURKISH PM DECISION TO BREAK MONUMENT DEVOTED TO ARMENIAN-TURKISH FRIENDSHIP

news.am
June 21 2011
Armenia

European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan
Fule answered to the written question of European Parliament deputy
Lorenzo Fontana regarding dismantling of the monument of Humanity
in Kars.

Fontana stressed in his question that Monument of Humanity was
devoted to Armenian-Turkish friendship. However, Turkey’s PM Recep
Tayyip Erdogan called it “a monstrous” and ordered to break it down,
Turkish Vatan reports.

“Neither a commission or an official body could assess the esthetic
value of the monument. Breaking a monument down is always a serious
decision. If the problem was in its location, it could be relocated,”
Stefan Fule told.

Dismantling of the monument started on April 26 and were over on
June15 2011.

From: Baghdasarian

SERZH SARGSYAN: WE WANT A HIGH LEVEL STATE UNIVERSITY

Panorama
June 21 2011
Armenia

Yerevan State University council session took place today which was
chaired by YSU Council President, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

The session agenda included election of YSU President. YSU acting
rector Aram Simonyan, who was qualified as the president of YSU,
presented the procedure for the university development, answered to
the council members’ questions.

Aram Simonyan has been elected in a secret voting as President of
YSU for another 5 years term.

RA President’s press office informs Serzh sargsyan has congratulated
the new elected rector and wished comprehensive achievements be made
in those five years.

“We have great expectations. We want a high level, comprehensive state
university. This is our wish and I hope, the Government hope that the
members of the council will put forth efforts to meet the target,”
president said.

From: Baghdasarian

FURTHER REFORMS NEEDED IN ARMENIAN POLICE DETENTION CENTRES

hetq
18:01, June 20, 2011

Efforts to bring Armenian police detention centres in line with
national legislation and international human rights standards are
progressing, but further improvement of national legislative framework
and practice is needed, says an OSCE-supported report released today.

The report presents the results of public monitoring throughout 2010 of
police detention centres by the Public Observers Group established by
a decree of the Head of Armenian Police in 2006. The report assesses
living and sanitary conditions in detention centres, medical services
and the possibilities to exercise the right to maintain contacts with
the outside world.

“Public monitoring of a state-based system guarantees transparency
and increased accountability,” said Vladimir Tchountoulov, Human
Rights Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “We welcome the ongoing
co-operation between the police and the civil society through the
Public Observers Group and believe that the recommendations of the
report will serve as a source of information and inspiration for the
government in its efforts to improve the system.”

The group representing ten non-governmental organizations outlined
problems and noted some improvements, such as some repairs and heating
of some police detention centres. It also offered recommendations on
addressing such problems as understaffing, which can potentially lead
to violation of detainees’ rights.

The absence of medical staff, insufficient food rations and poor
condition of the premises in terms of humidity, ventilation and
lighting were also among issues addressed.

In addition, the group recommends that instead of current 33 centres,
13 newly-built police detention centres corresponding to international
standards are created.

Representatives from the Armenian police, National Assembly, civil
society organizations and the Office of the Ombudsman designated
as National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the
UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) discussed the conclusions of
this report.

The report was prepared and published with the support of the Open
Society Foundations – Armenia and Partnership for Open Society
Initiative.

From: Baghdasarian

RUBEN ZARGARYAN: DEVELOPMENTS IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT HAVE REACHED A DEADLOCK
Lusine Avanesyan

“Radiolur”
20.06.2011 18:00
Stepanakert

“The developments in the Karabakh conflict settlement have reached a
deadlock,” Adviser to the NKR Foreign Minister Ruben Zargaryan said
in an interview with the Artsakh Public Television.

According to him, by demanding the seven regions surrounding Nagorno
Karabakh, Azerbaijan prepares ground for invading whole Nagorno
Karabakh.

Ruben Zargaryan does not expect and negative or positive changes in
the negotiation process, as none of the parties wants to aggravate
the situation.

“The deadlock is a result of distorted format of negotiations, which
should feature Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan,” he said.

“The current negotiation process does not depict the real picture of
the Karabakh conflict, where the main parties are Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan. The determination of the status of any people is the
exceptional right of that people,” he said.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Nagorno Karabakh, the
conflict should be settled on the basis of several principles:
determination of the status by the people of Nagorno Karabakh,
final recognition of Arsakh’s status by the international community,
restoration of Artsakh’s territorial integrity, exclusion of the use
of force or the threat of force, ” he said.

From: Baghdasarian

FIRST STAGE OF ARI TUN PROGRAM GETS UNDERWAY
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
20.06.2011 15:34

The Ministry of Diaspora today marked the start of the first stage
of the “Ari Tun” (Come home) program. It will be held in ten stages
and will continue through September 25.

The number of participants is expected to reach 800 this year. The
program aims to introduce the young people from the Diaspora to their
Motherland – Armenia.

This year the participants will live in host families for ten days
and will spend another four days at a camp in Aghveran.

“At the very beginning there was mistrust in the program. However,
the program has been conducted for the third year in a row. And
now it’s a fact that it has received a “ticket into life” and has
broadened its geography,” Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan stated.

From: Baghdasarian

ONLY 46% OF RESPONDENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CURRENT PENSION SYSTEM

hetq
16:06, June 20, 2011

Today the USAID Pension and Labor Market Reform (PALM) Project,
jointly with AM Partners Consulting Company, presented the results
of a baseline survey on public awareness of pension reform in Armenia.

Representatives of the Government of Armenia, international and
non-governmental organizations attended the presentation.

Armenia’s existing pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension system is financially
unsustainable, lacking a solid link between contributions made to the
system and the future pension income. This has served as a significant
disincentive for citizens to join the system. To address this concern,
the Government of Armenia has committed to reform the country’s pension
system by introducing both voluntary and mandatory pension options
in order to make the system financially sustainable and ensure an
appropriate level of income at retirement.

The reform process will require change in the mentality, attitude
and behavior of common citizens and economic entities, which the
Armenian government plans to address through a public awareness and
education campaign.

To assist the Government of Armenia’s efforts, the USAID PALM
project contracted AM Partners Consulting Company to design and
conduct a nationwide survey among 992 citizens of Armenia aged 16 and
above residing in both urban and rural areas. The survey will enable
policymakers to organize a more effective and targeted public awareness
campaign while enhancing the financial literacy of the society.

The survey covered key questions such as the people’s knowledge of
and attitudes toward the current pension system and upcoming reforms,
anxiety regarding pensions, and the respondent’s information sources.

According to the survey, only 46% of respondents were familiar with
the current pension system and just 27% of these knew the current
system was PAYG. Only 0.9% of the respondents knew the size of social
contributions made by employers and employees.

36% of respondents had heard about pension reforms, and 39%
of respondents said they were ready to join the voluntary funded
pension scheme.

In terms of preferred sources of information, TV received the
majority vote (a little over 90%), followed by newspapers and
magazines (19-21%), and lastly, relatives and acquaintances (14-19%
of respondents).

From: Baghdasarian

Anahit Bakhshyan:”Is There RA Legislation In French University”

Noyan Tapan

20.06.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 20.06.2011) Touching upon the open letter of the
lecturers of French University Anahit Bashkhyan, the member of the
“Heritage” fraction of RA National Assembly applies to the Minister
of RA Education and Science Armen Ashotyan. The letters addressed to
the Minister is the following:

“According to the 1st part of the 15th Article of RA law on
“Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education” the management of
a higher educational institution is carried out in accordance to RA
Legislation and the charter of the higher educational institution
based on self-governing.

On June 6, 2011, I learnt from the publication of the open letter by a
group of lecturers addressed to me in “Lragir” Press Agency that there
isn’t a Scientific Council in the French University of Armenia. At the
same time l faced several documents on the website of the University
where the existence of the above mentioned body is mentioned about,
but the Scientific Council was mentioned as a no permanent structure
in the scheme of the structure in the organization.

I also learnt form the same recourse that the Deputy Rector of the
University Arayik Navoyan carries out functions for an unlimited
time, as well as he was appointed by the Board of Trustees which
is a violation of RA law on “”Higher and Postgraduate Professional
Education”.

From: Baghdasarian

THE PRESIDIUM OF THE FORUM OF ARMENIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF EUROPE WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE UNESCO

Noyan Tapan

20.06.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 20.06.2011) The Presidium of the Forum of Armenian
Associations of Europe (FAAE) and the President personally, Dr
Ashot Grigorian, wish to express their extreme disappointment to
the UNESCO Secretariat and its Director General Ms Irina Bokova,
requesting an explanation for the scandal surrounding the UNESCO
organized exhibition of Armenian cross-stones (khachkars) in Paris on
June 15, 2011. It is understood that UNESCO requested the organizers
to remove from the placards the exact location of the cross-stones’
origin. This absurd request becomes even more preposterous when the
explanation provided reveals that it is a request from Azerbaijani
and Turkish authorities, i.e. the two countries that methodically
carried out cultural genocide destroying millennia old valuable
Armenian memorials in Armenian regions furthermore demand removing the
same from people’s memories. It is known that in 2005 Azerbaijani
authorities organized and executed the complete destruction of
thousands of ancient Armenian cross-stones in the region of Julfa,
Nakhichevan. To date UNESCO has not investigated this transgression
and has failed to send an investigation mission to Nakhichevan due
to the counter efforts of the very organizers of this vandalism –
the Azerbaijani authorities headed by President Ilham Aliyev.

FAAE requests that UNESCO set up a commission to investigate the
above mentioned statement and hold to account the perpetrators of the
deliberate and intentional destruction of Armenian cultural heritage.

In addition, we request an explanation regarding the Paris exhibition
and an apology from those responsible for this scandalous act.

Alternatively, FAAE will put this case forward to the jurisdiction
of international courts.

From: Baghdasarian