Author: Boshkezenian Garik

SEVEN PROJECTS TO PARTICIPATE IN COMPETITION OF SHORT FILMS ‘TOLERANCE WITHOUT BORDERS’

ArmInfo
2007-09-18 21:42:00

Seven projects have been selected to participate in a competition
of short films "Tolerance without Borders". To recall, preference
was given to those projects, which focus on religious, racial and
ethnic tolerance.

Maria Mirzoyan, the program coordinator of the "Golden Apricot"
Fund for Cinema Development told ArmInfo correspondent that the
participants in the competition are: David Matevosyan ("Lullaby"
project), Jivan Avetisyan ("Unfinished Story"), Lev Oganesyan ("A
Grandpa Frost for My Grandma"), Gor Baghdasaryan ("Playground"),
Mikayel Gevorgyan ("Shadows of the Caucasus Mountains"), Nika Shek
("From Culture to Tolerance"), and Seda Muradyan ("Home from Home").

According to M.Mirzoyan, the winners will be awarded next week. The
"Golden Apricot" Fund for Cinema Development and OSCE will allocate 1
500 EUR for 2 projects each, and UNDP – 5 thsd EUR for 1 project. To
note, the competition is being held within the framework of the "
Directors without Borders" program.

MEETING OF GUAM EXPERTS BEGINS IN BAKU

TREND
18.09.2007 16:37:56

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / Experts from Foreign
Ministries of the ‘Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
– GUAM’ participating countries came together in Baku on 18 September
to coordinate technical issues for the next meeting of the Council
of National Coordinators and Council of GUAM Foreign Ministers.

All GUAM countries ( Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) attended
the meeting, according to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. The
experts should coordinate the agenda of the seventh meeting of the
Council of National Coordinators due on 20-22 September in Baku and
the fourth meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers which will take
during the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The
sides have not confirmed the date of the Foreign Ministers meeting.

The 62nd session of the UN General Assembly is expected to cover the
results of the ‘frozen conflicts’, worldwide security and development,
issues for preventing armed confrontations and the situation in
occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Earlier the Secretary General of GUAM, Valeri Chechelashvili, reported
to Trend that a project of resolution on lingering conflicts in GUAM
countries may be put forward for consideration by the UN General
Assembly at the beginning of September. A project for the resolution
regarding lingering conflicts in GUAM, in particular Dniester (
Moldova), Nagorno-Karabakh ( Azerbaijan) and Georgian-Abkhazian was
developed and included in the agenda of the UN General Assembly at
the end of 2006. Later, the representatives of GUAM removed the issue
from the agenda.

As an alternative to the CIS the four post-Soviet republics Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, established the GUAM format in 1999
during a summit of head of state of European Union member-countries
in Strasbourg. The summit of GUAM in Baku was the second one which
focused on the prospects of the development of the organization both
in the sphere of the economy and security.

GLOBAL IMAGE VIRTUAL ARMENIA
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
18-09-2007 12:21:42

The minister of trade and development of economy Nerses Yeritsyan
in office for 100 days, whose appointment was unanimously stated by
experts to be a sensible, unbiased, non-clannish policy, put forward
a new thesis which will describe the so-called second generation of
reforms: "Shaping the global image of Armenia." In other words, the
upcoming actions of the government will be directed at it. Certainly,
Nerses Yeritsyan spoke about the plans of his ministry but it is clear
that no global image of Armenia will be shaped without a consolidated
action of the government. Meanwhile, the doubts that the actions of
the Armenian executive are hardly consolidated are righteous. And not
only the actions. The actions are mere consequences, effect, expression
of thinking. The problem is the difference of views, ideas, perception.

Certainly, not only Nerses Yeritsyan upholds the necessity of modern
approaches, discussion and solution of problems in accordance with
the logic of the process and deep analysis of the phenomena. But I
very much doubt that many other members of government who speak about
it believe their own words. In addition, these members of government
are rather influential and occupy rather important posts. For them
the global image of Armenia is a big plantation where their slaves
toil and produce output for their masters. And the masters decide how
to divide the output. It is not even an image or an association but
a credo. And in this context the excited statements of the minister
of trade and development of economy what should be done to develop
Armenia and achieve a modern level of relations are doomed to shape
the governmental PR to show what intelligent ministers, experienced
specialists they have appointed to government.

Can Nerses Yeritsyan tell us what modern approach is needed to
solve the problem when one of the oligarchs cheats a medium-sized
businessman? Meanwhile, it is a true story when the medium-sized
business sells a product to one of the companies run by the oligarch,
and the company does not pay. Meanwhile, it is a matter of a few
million drams. The medium-sized businessman has no way of getting
the money because if he gets involved in a conflict, the number of
unrevealed murders in Armenia will increase by one, and if he chooses
a dispute at the court of law, the society will become convinced once
again that the judicial system in Armenia merely serves the strong.

I suggest that Nerses Yeritsyan and also the other members of
government who consider themselves as progressive and having a modern
thinking, go deep into the cause or causes of this phenomenon and
say how the medium-sized businesses can be protected from major
businesses, who and how should stop the oligarch hiding behind the
back of a high-ranking official from cheating, robbing and enslaving.

And if now there is someone who can stop the oligarch, why has he
failed so far and will he share responsibility for the wrongdoings
of the oligarch as well?

If we do not discuss to the point these definite episodes of our life
which are the present image of Armenia, if we do not refer to things
and phenomena with their names, if we avoid discussing and addressing
responsibility for the vicious phenomena in Armenia, the talks about
the new image are but a mere display of knowledge. In addition, in
this case this knowledge is displayed to hide, and also to justify
other’s ignorance.

UN FUND APPROVES NEARLY $200 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS TO HELP RURAL POOR

UN News Centre
15 September 2007

14 September 2007 – The United Nations International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced that it has approved almost
$200 million in grants and loans to support initiatives to bolster
the living conditions of the rural poor in more than a dozen countries
in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East.

In West and Central Africa, IFAD will make $5.7 million in loans and
$15 million in grants available.

Some 28,000 farmers in the Woleu-Ntem province of Gabon will receive
funding to help diversify their incomes through the development and
marketing of new products form such staple crops as bananas, cassava
and peanuts.

In Guinea, a grant will help finance a project to bolster local
governance in rural areas while in Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s
poorest nations, another grant will assist 100,000 rural people build
their communities through rehabilitating infrastructure and bolstering
grassroots organizations.

Lesotho, Uganda, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Armenia, Morocco and Yemen will also receive IFAD grants
or loans.

Additionally, the fund approved six grants to international centres
conducting agricultural research and development activities in rural
areas in poor nations.

IFAD supports nearly 200 ongoing rural poverty eradication programmes
and projects, worth $6 billion, to reach 82 million rural poor people
worldwide.

NEW LEVEL IN RUSSIA-KARABAKH RELATIONS

KarabakhOpen
14-09-2007 12:48:29

A group of Russian politicians, civil society activists, writers
and journalists led by the head of the Society of Russian-Armenian
Friendship and Cooperation Victor Krivopuskov is visiting Karabakh. On
September 13 they met with President Bako Sahakyan. The necessity
for shifting the Russia-Karabakh relations to a new level was pointed
out during the talk.

The guests handed out a memory medal to the president of Karabakh.

HIGH-LEVEL SPEAKERS AND VISIONARIES IN YEREVAN

Lragir.am
13-09-2007 16:32:51

A regional Conference of the ECA Network of Business Incubators and
Technology Parks will be held September 17- 20 in Yerevan, Armenia.

The "Advancing Innovation in ECA 2007" conference is being jointly
organized by the Information for Development Program (infoDev) of the
World Bank, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), and the ECAbit
Network of Business Incubators and Technology Parks of Eastern Europe
and Central Asia. The conference aims to promote knowledge exchange
on using business incubation as a tool for supporting local innovation
and entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA).

The conference will bring together around 80 experts and stakeholders
from around the ECA region to exchange knowledge and ideas on how
Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-led innovation and
entrepreneurship can drive growth and competitiveness in transition
economies, and how business incubation can be positioned as a strategic
tool for economic development. High-level speakers and visionaries
from the region will be present, and the Prime Minister of Armenia
is expected to open the meetings. Main themes of the conference
include Public Sector Innovation Policies & Programs, Public-Private
Partnerships for Promoting Innovation, Business Incubation Models,
Technology Transfer and High-Tech Entrepreneurship Development, and
Financing Mechanisms for Innovation Projects in Transition Economies,
the news release of the Yerevan office of the World Bank runs.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

"THE ELECTION OF THE NEW PRESIDENT IS IMPERATIVE"

SAYS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I TO THE F2 TV CHANNEL

His Holiness Aram I held an interview with journalists from the F2 French TV
station in Antelias on September 11. Several ecumenical and Armenian issues
were discussed, including the presence of Christianity in the Middle East
and the presidential elections in Lebanon.

Speaking about the Christian presence in the Middle East, the Pontiff
describes it as a "presence mired by conflicts and challenges." He then
asked: "When has Christianity not been so in its history in the region? A
passive approach to this situation is not acceptable. Christianity is a
witness and the witness is commitment and struggle. Christianity should
organize itself with this spirit and vision." His Holiness said. The
Catholicos pointed out that the migration of Christians from Iraq, Iran and
Jerusalem is a serious problem.

On the presidential elections in Lebanon the Catholicos said: "the election
of a new president is imperative. Otherwise, the country can come across new
uncertainties." The Pontiff added: "Lebanon is a family of communities. The
existing internal sensitivities and disagreements should be overcome and the
unity and integrity of the family should be strengthened."

Catholicos Aram I considered the Armenian community as one of the seven main
communities of Lebanon and as such he reminded that it is an active
contributor to Lebanese life in all spheres.

##
View photo here:
tos/Photos33.htm#2
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

STATE OF CRIME IN ARMENIA IS STABLE

Lragir.am
12-09-2007 16:51:46

The state of crime in Armenia over the past few years has been stable,
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan stated in his address to the
National Assembly on Wednesday, Novosti Armenia reported. According
to him, the annual rate of crime is 10 thousand to 12 thousand. "The
crime data for the first 8 months of 2007 do not cause worry," the
prosecutor general said.

He said the rate of crime went down by 13 percent compared with the
same period of the past year. Meanwhile, the rate of grave crimes
remains stable. The rate of murder went down by 3, the cases of
robbery and battery and assault went down by 21 compared with 2006.

The rate of grave crimes went down by 110.

"The rate of crime in Armenia is one of the lowest in the CIS,
Tajikistan’s is the lowest," the prosecutor general said, adding that
the law enforcement agencies reveal about 7 to 8 thousand crimes
a year. Hovsepyan said these indices could be described as "soft"
compared with even the European counties.

2800 PIGS KILLED

Panorama.am
16:32 12/09/2007

Today’s data says 2800 pigs with "African plague" were killed
in the republic. Most pigs are killed in the region of Tavush
(about 1500) followed by region of Lory (1200), Gevorg Tovmasyan,
veterinary inspection deputy head, told Panorama.am. In his words,
quarantine is announced only in these two regions so far. He said
quarantine was not announced in Spitak, Stepanavan of Lory and in the
region of Tashir since infection was not detected there. He also said
infection was detected in Yerevan and Village Burastan Ararat region
with restrictions imposed.

PRESIDENT OF RA CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO VISIT GERMANY

armradio.am
12.09.2007 16:39

September 16-22 the President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia
Gagik Harutyunyan will leave for Germany, ArmInfo was told from the
Constitutional Court. It was mentioned that at he invitation of the
Technical Cooperation Agency of Germany the heads of Constitutional
Courts of the South Caucasian countries will visit Germany within
the term specified.

The objective of the visit is to get familiar with the structure of
the German constitutional justice system. Views will be exchanged
on the problems the German judiciary faces and the reforms in the
fields of judiciary and law of the South Caucasian countries. In the
framework of the visit the Heads of Constitutional Courts of Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan will have working meetings in the Bundestag
and the Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation.