Author: Chakrian Hovsep

TURKISH SCHOOL TEACHER DISMISSED FOR CONDEMNING DINK MURDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.07.2008 17:34 GMT+04:00

When referring to the Hrant Dink murder, Turkish high school teacher
Aysel Kilic said in class that no one should be killed for their
thoughts and was exiled to Trabzon for that remark, Sabah daily
reports.

When one of the students said in class that he is happy that Hrant
Dink died, Kilic replied, "Killing someone for his or her thoughts
is not right."

The students related this to their parents and one of them applied
to the Selcuk District Administration, Education Ministry, and Izmir
Governor’s Office with the claim that Kilic said Turks have committed
crimes against Armenians, that she humiliated Turks because of the
Dink murder, that she said the living conditions of Abdullah Ocalan
were bad, that she claimed Fehriye Erdal, who killed businessman
Ozdemir Sabanci, was not a murderer, and that she gave low grades to
students that opposed her views.

Two inspectors commissioned by the ministry found the teacher guilty
and a criminal case was filed against her.

Meanwhile Kilic was appointed to a high school in Trabzon. Kilic has
applied for a stay in proceedings and approached the Selcuk Public
Prosecutor’s Office with a brief saying that the accusations are false.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT APPLIES TO ALL ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN TO BE ACTIVE INITIATORS IN THE MATTER OF THEIR NATIVE LAND DEVELOPMENT

ArmInfo
2008-07-15 15:24:00

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan has applied will a challenge to
Armenians of all over the world.

As ArmInfo correspondent reports, making a speech in front of
participants in the youth gathering Baze, in Jermuk, he said: ‘I call
everybody to draw more attention to their Motherland, which is the
home for our generation. I am sure that memories of childhood always
call you to your native home. We should take care about our common
home – Motherland’.

The president applied to all the Armenian businessmen: ‘You should be
the active initiators in the matter of our Motherland development. Such
is my request to you. We should bring up Armenian young people in the
right way on the basis of the elder generations’ achievements… I
call everybody to choose his own element of Motherland. I ask Armenian
businessmen to choose and build, create, implement and multiply and
I am sure my challenge will not remain without respond’, – Armenian
president said.

Commissioner Hammarberg visits Armenia to assess progress made in the
investigation of post-election events

armradio.am
12.07.2008 11:25

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg,
will start on Sunday a three-day visit to Yerevan to weigh the progress
made in the investigation of the violent events in connection with the
demonstrations after the Presidential election in March. He will meet
with the highest national authorities and will visit prisons
accompanied by two members of his Office and Johan Hirschfeldt, an
international expert with extensive experience on national commissions
of inquiry.

`This visit is part of the ongoing dialogue with the Armenian
authorities, and follows the visits carried out last October and March’
said the Commissioner. `In my last report on Armenia, I advocated for a
comprehensive investigation into the 1 March events. The aim of this
visit is therefore to take stock of the progress made towards this end
and gather accurate information on the number of detainees and their
judicial status’ continued Commissioner Hammarberg. `I have also taken
note of the recent Resolution adopted by the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly on the functioning of democratic institutions in
Armenia. In this context, I intend to provide an international
contribution towards the improvement of the human rights situation in
the country.’
During his visit,20the Commissioner will meet the highest State
authorities, including the President Serzh Sargsyan, leading members of
the Government, Parliament representatives, the Prosecutor General and
members of the ad hoc Parliamentary inquiry committee. Commissioner
Hammarberg will also hold further meetings with detainees and their
lawyers, the Human Rights Defender, as well as representatives of
international organisations and civil society.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN RECEIVED INDIA’S AMBASSADOR

armradio.am
11.07.2008 15:49

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the Ambassador of India to
Armenia Rina Pandey, President’s Press Office reported.

The President underlined the high level of political relations between
the two countries and the productive cooperation within international
organizations.

Turning to bilateral economic ties, the interlocutors stated that there
are successful examples of Indian business investments in Armenia. At
the same time they attached importance to the economic potential and
more efficient use of the existing opportunities.

Reference was made to the cooperation in the fields of science and
economy.

It was noted that many Indian young people study in Yerevan today.

Stressing the important role of the Indian Armenian community in
the development of bilateral ties, the President said it has a rich
history and many Armenian educational-cultural monuments have been
created in India.

Ambassador Pandey noted that the results of RA President Serzh
Sargsyan’s different initiatives are already visible and wished
him success.

Science-Private Sector Cooperation Program Kicks Off In Armenia

YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. A grant program supporting cooperation between
science and the private sector launched today in Armenia, Director of
Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) Bagrat Yengibaryan reported today
at a press conference.

Groups of scientists and businessmen can apply for the tender by July
18. After July 25, they are to submit their applications electronically.

`All the applicants can submit their joint programs and elaborations to
local and foreign investors’ consideration at a venture co9bference
scheduled for October,’ Yengibaryan said.

The authors of the best three projects will be awarded $10,000.
Yengibaryan said last year the best five groups were awarded $5,000 for
their agricultural, pharmaceutical, microbiologic, IT and engineering
products.
The EIF Director stressed the importance of the group activities to
attract venture capital. He said the focus will be on IT-solutions.

Yengibaryan believes the programs will contribute to the development of
IT sector which has considerably progressed for the past five years.

The private sector-science cooperation program is being implemented by
EIF and the U.S. Civil Research Development Fund as part of the Science
Technologies and Entrepreneurship Program. `0′

UNDP: rural communities have huge room for development

YEREVAN, July 10. /ARKA/. Rural communities have a huge room for
development, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, Consuelo Vidal,
said Thursday at the second annual conference on development of
Armenia’s rural communities.

She said that Armenian rural areas are very vulnerable now because of
underdeveloped infrastructures. A third of rural population can’t
develop. Vidal thinks obstacles must be removed from the road of
development.

She pointed out the necessity to develop small- and mid-scale business
in provinces and to establish partnership between state and private
sectors.

She said that FAO food and agriculture organization is implementing
programs in four border villages of Armenian province of Shirak. These
programs imply creation of cluster development system and exchange of
experience between Armenian provinces of Syunik and Armavir and
Georgia’s border areas.

Vidal said that the agencies running communities should outline common
problems and goals, and UNDP will support them in solving these
problems.

The conference was launched in Yerevan on Thursday. It was organized by
American University of Armenia on the initiative of Trpanjan, the
program of development of rural communities, and Yerevan Office of
UN.-0-

"Azerbaijan’s foreign policy on Daqliq Qarabaq conflict must be of offensive
NATURE"

ANS
07.07.2008 20:36

Azerbaijani Presidet Ilham Aliyev stated in the third Congress of
heads of diplomatic missions and consulates.

"Azerbaijan’s foreign policy on Daqliq Qarabaq conflict must be of
offensive nature," Azerbaijani Presidet Ilham Aliyev stated in the
third Congress of heads of diplomatic missions and consulates. The
Head of State said Armenia’s agressive police must be condemned at
all level.

"One of the activities of our diplomats is to increase awareness of
international community about Daqliq Qarabaq conflict," the President
said. Ilham Aliyev stressed that many successes had been achieved
in these directions and added that Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys territorial
integrity was recognized at all levels and international community
supported solution to Daqliq Qarabaq only within the framework
of Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys territorial integrity. He said this position
is connected with norms of human right, historical realities and
Azerbaijan’s booming image in international policy.

Speaking of global energy projects carried out by Azerbaijan, Ilham
Aliyev said these projects serve to internation enegy security.

Touching priorities of Azerbaijani foreign policy, President Aliyev
said diplomats had more responsibilities on the implementation of
those priorities. He called the officials of Azerbaijani embassies in
foreign countries to make close cooperation with state institutions
of countries, where they function and provide information about
Azerbaijani realities and make efforts serving political and economical
interests of the country.

–Boundary_(ID_y46CO/3aMPQlNIMRPvNVXg)–

ARMENIA NOT PLANNING TO JOIN NATO: FM

Xinhua General News Service
July 6, 2008 Sunday 10:10 PM EST

Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian said the south Caucasus
state is not seeking to join NATO, but will enhance cooperation with
the alliance, reports reaching here said on Sunday.

"NATO membership does not rank among Armenia’s foreign-policy goals,
but Armenia is cooperating intensively with the alliance," Interfax
quoted Nalbandian as saying at a joint news conference with his Czech
counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

NATO and Armenia have recently completed a "positive" two-year
cooperation program, he said, noting a new two-year cooperation
program is underway.

Russia has repeatedly warned against NATO’s eastward expansion,
expressing concerns over the bid for the alliance’s membership by
former Soviet republics, such as Georgia and Ukraine.

ARMENIA GETS HIGHER RATING

ARKA
July 3

The international rating agency Fitch has raised Armenia’s
international rating from BB- to BB.

"It is of paramount importance now, as it contributes to the creation
of favorable conditions for economic growth and investments in the
country," RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated at the Government’s
sitting.

He pointed out that besides the main reasons for a higher rating
assigned to Armenia the Fitch report indicates a positive effect of
the new Government’s initiatives to implement reforms, which will
form a competitive economy in Armenia.

"The report also indicates a consistent macroeconomic policy, which
creates favorable conditions for investments," Sargsyan said.

The RA Prime Minister said that the rating assigned to Armenia
by one of the world’s leading rating agencies contributes to the
Government-implemented reforms. "This is an impartial and serious
signal for all the organizations working on the international financial
market," he said.

On June 5, 2006, Fitch Ratings assigned the issuer default rating in
national and foreign currency (BB-, prospect Stable) to Armenia. The
agency also assigned a short-term rating (B), and a BB- country
ceiling rating to the country.

ARMENIA, GREECE INTERESTED IN DEEPENING MILITARY COOPERATION

armradio.am
04.07.2008 17:22

On July 4 RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received the Military
Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Greece in Armenia, Brigade
General Atanasios Khandzivieris, who is completing his mission in
our country.

At the beginning of the meeting Seyran Ohanyan expressed gratitude
to Mr.

Khandzivieris for expanding the bilateral military cooperation during
his tenure in office and wished him success in his future diplomatic
mission.

For his part, Atanasios Khandzivieris expressed his appreciation
for the high professional preparedness of the Armenian peacekeepers
carrying out mission in Kosovo within the Greek division.

Turning to the current state of military, military-technical and
military-educational cooperation in the framework of bilateral
relations, the parties stressed the necessity to deepen the cooperation
especially in the fields of military education and peacekeeping.

Speaking about the settlement of the Karabakh issue, the parties
attached importance to the peaceful resolution of the issue. Issues
of regional security and stability were also discussed.

At the end of the meeting the parties exchanged views on the reforms
implemented in the Armed Forces of our country.

–Boundary_(ID_lG1RGm1xxT+S9QZDakMH9A)–