Author: Dabaghian Diana

WILSON COLLEGE OFFERS ARMENIAN WOMEN TWO FOUR-YEAR FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

CHAMBERSBURG, MAY 20, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. Wilson College,
America’s oldest women-only college, is offering two full-tuition
four-year scholarships to Armenian women from anywhere in the world, as
part of its new Global Citizenship Initiative program. The scholarships
are supported by the Hagop Bogigian Fund, a bequest by the millionaire
more than 85 years ago. Originally, part of his bequest was to help
all women.

FIBER OPTIC COMMUNICATION SET IN SELF-DECLARED "NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC"

Today.Az
politics/45100.html
May 20 2008
Azerbaijan

Affiliate of Arminco company in "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" got access
to digital networks on basis of fiber optic communication, existing
in Armenia, bypassing satellite technologies, technical director of
the affiliate Samwell Mailian said in Khankendi.

"We have built a digital network on a new level, which allowed us to
connect two segments of the Armenian Internet-in Armenia and "Nagorno
Karabakh Republic". This is a great progress, ensuring outlet to the
fiber optic lines, communicating Armenia with Georgia and Russia.

This means that we already can have two independent fiber optic
channels, while before that we had had to use satellite communication
channels for over six years", noted Samwell Mailyan.

He said this also allowed to settle the issue of Internet overloading
in "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" and, on the whole, meet the needs of
the population.

"Today, we can fully provide organizations of Armenia and "Nagorno
Karabakh Republic" with corporate communication. Thus, owing to
the efforts of the mother enterprise, we have done a necessary
thing. This is the first precedent of the kind in the self-declared
"Nagorno Karabakh Republic".

We have the only network with direct access to Armenian nets, and we
have fully integrated into the Internet space of Armenia. Moreover, we
have obtained an additional channel to the external world. This means
that in case of any sabotage regarding the self-declared "Nagorno
Karabakh Republic" we will still have a direct outlet to Armenia",
said the technical director of the affiliate of Arminco company in
"Nagorno Karabakh Republic".

According to Mailyan, new tariffs on broadband access, satisfying
separate categories of population will be applied in the next half
of the year.

CISCO ACADEMY TO BE FOUNDED AT RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY

ARKA
May 16, 2008

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. The Cisco Academy will be founded using the
facilities of the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU).

Anush Begloyan, Public Relations Executive, ArmenTel Company (Beeline
brand) reported that the Academy will be founded under the auspices of
the Russian training center Cisco Systems, Moscow Technical University
of Communications and Informatics, and the RA Ministry of Transport
and Communication.

Begloyan pointed out that the initiative to found the Cisco Academy
in Armenia was advanced by the Step Logic Armenia Company.

The students of the Academy will take training courses at Beeline to
work for the company later.

Begloyan also reported that negotiations for cooperation in founding
the Academy are being held with the State Engineering University
of Armenia.

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world leader in networking Internet
technologies.

The Cisco brand is one of the world’s most expensive brands ($19.1bln).

Cisco launched its activities in the CIS in 1995.

ARMAN KIRAKOSIAN AND SYLVAIN ITTE DISCUSS PROBLEMS OF IMPROVING ARMENIA’S INFORMATION FIELD

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 16, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. France is interested in assisting
with democratic reforms in Armenia, the executive director of France
Cooperation International organization Sylvain Itte said at a meeting
with the Armenian deputy foreign minister Arman Kirakosian.

S. Itte said that the purpose of the visit to discuss the problems
and proposals related to Armenia’s legislation, human rights, mass
media, tourism, and economy through meetings with representatives of
Armenian state structures and to develop joint projects.

According to a press release of the RA MFA, during the meeting,
proposals were made on improvement of the information field,
development of informational education in Armenia with the
participation of French experts, and joint activities of
representatives of the mass media of the two countries.

NO POSITIVE CHANGES IN YEREVAN’S POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH – AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY

Interfax News Agency
May 15 2008
Russia

New Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s recent visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh does not provide positive preconditions for resolving
the conflict, Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said
at a news conference on Thursday.

"The sooner Armenia understands this the better," Ibrahim said.

Since the new president came to power in Armenia, Yerevan has not
taken a single constructive step, he said.

"We are still hoping that the Armenian leadership will assess the
situation correctly and take appropriate measures," he said.

MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSING IN STEPANAKERT AND SHUSHI

KarabakhOpen
17-05-2008 12:45:25

The prices of houses in Karabakh are soaring. Since the end of the
previous year the value of one sq m in Shushi has gone up from 95.5
to 182 dollars, or by 80.1 percent.

According to the NKR State Cadastre, the prices have jumped in
Stepanakert, almost by 41.6 percent. The price per sq m has gone up
from 524 to 742 dollars. An almost 30 percent growth was reported
in Askeran, from 131 to 170, 27 percent in Martuni, 25.4 percent in
Martakert and 23.1 percent in Hadrut.

It turns out that the cheapest houses are in Martakert where you have
to pay 81.5 dollars for each sq m. And the most expensive apartments
are in Stepanakert and Shushi.

TURK STUDENTS TRY TO FAIL COMMEMORATION EVENT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

LOS ANGELES, MAY 14, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. An unpleasant
incident happened during the event organized by the Union of Armenian
Students and Union of the Students of the Armenian Higher Education
Institutions in the State University of Southern California of the
United States of America, which was held on April 24 on the occasion
of the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. During this incident
two Turk students attacked and tried to tear the posters prepared by
the organizers and throw away the wreaths placed by those present.

The organizers of the event had placed 1500 flowers since early
morning that day in memory of the one and a half million victims of
the genocide, as well as placed numerous posters and slogans in the
open-air place disposed for the holding of the event, however, two
Turk students approached and tried to hinder the work by trampling
the flowers and posters.

K. Navasardian, the Chairman of the Union of Students of Higher
Education Institutions, stated after the incident that students were
trying to make a peaceful and effective agitation and commemorate
the Armenian victims adding that it is the fair right of every free
citizen, especially when under this circumstance not only the Armenian
nation but the issue the humanity is interested in is the problem.

On the other hand, H. Guyumjian, the Chairman of the Union of
Armenian Students, stated that one of the members of the union
informed him about what had happened and also about the fact that
the Public Security Center of the University had detained the Turk
student. However, the Public Security Center denied that information.

The Armenian students, as well as the other students taking part in
the event, soon successfully continued the commemoration event.

ARMEN MINASYAN APPOINTED UEFA DELEGATE AT THE FINAL OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

armradio.am
12.05.2008 18:08

UEFA has appointed the Executive Director of the Football Federation
of Armenia Armen Minasyan has been appointed as the UEFA delegate at
the final of the Champions League to be held at "Luzhniki" Stadium
on May 21.

Manchester United and Chelsea will compete in the final.

Armenpress was informed from the Press Service of RA Football
Federation that this is the first case in the history of Armenian
football, when the representative of our country is involved in the
process of organization of an event of this kind, assuming one of
the leading roles.

ABKHAZIAN KNOT: THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN CONFLICT PLACES ITS NEIGHBORS IN FRONT OF A CHOICE
by Victor Yadukha

DEFENSE and SECURITY
May 12, 2008 Monday
Russia

AS A RESULT OF A RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN CONFLICT MOSCOW MAY FULLY LOSE
POSITIONS IN TRANSCAUCASIA; Yesterday, Georgian State Minister for
Reintegration, Temur Yakobashvili, announced in Brussels that Georgia
was close to a war. On the same day, Yerevan-based agency PanArmenian
reported with reference to Real Azerbaijan that Baku was going to
provide military assistance to Georgia sending Afghan mojaheds and
its own militants from among the amnestied criminals and Azerbaijanis
living in the CIS. Baku called this report a canard. In any case,
the policy of Azerbaijan may change after the entrance of Georgia
into NATO.

Yesterday, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Temur
Yakobashvili, announced in Brussels that Georgia was close to a
war. On the same day, Yerevan-based agency PanArmenian reported with
reference to Real Azerbaijan that Baku was going to provide military
assistance to Georgia sending Afghan mojaheds and its own militants
from among the amnestied criminals and Azerbaijanis living in the
CIS. Baku called this report a canard. In any case, the policy of
Azerbaijan may change after the entrance of Georgia into NATO.

PanArmenian states that it is planned to restart air flights from Baku
to Kabul. The agency explains, "The transportation of big cargoes of
weapons and groups of Afghan mojaheds trained by British instructors
via Azerbaijan to Georgia is expected." According to PanArmenian,
"active recruitment" in Azerbaijani diasporas in Russia and CIS
continued for a month already

Khazar Ibragim, director of the press service of the Foreign Ministry
of Azerbaijan, said, "This is gibberish on which it is impossible
to comment."

Nonetheless, public discussion dedicated to this topic has been going
on in Azerbaijan for a long time. According to political scientist and
diplomat Fikret Sadykhov, despite the good neighborly relations with
Russia, in this conflict Azerbaijan "should take the side of Georgia"
because Azerbaijani hydrocarbons go to the European market through
it and Tbilisi "has always manifested understanding" to the stance
of Azerbaijan regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

This topic is closely connected with the topic of entrance of the
country into NATO. Recently, President Ilkham Aliev announced that
"proceeding from the current situation, membership of Azerbaijan
in NATO is not discussed." Connection to the present moment is not
incidental. According to military expert Uzeir Dzhafarov, Azerbaijan
will definitely join NATO but only after Georgia. Alexander Skakov
agrees, "So far, Azerbaijan has managed to maneuver but if Georgia
enters into NATO Baku will hardly be able to continue the independent
game." Moreover, according to Skakov, in this case Armenia will be
in NATO too (its devotion to Russia should not be overestimated)
and Western peacekeepers will be inserted into Nagorno-Karabakh. In
this situation Russia can remain in Transcaucasia only by one way,
namely by blocking the entrance of Georgia into NATO.

L. MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN: "THERE IS NO SELF GOVERNED AZERBAIJAN"

Panorama.am
18:28 12/05/2008

"The conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh will be solved
after another war," said politician Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan in a
press conference, today.

He said that unless the oil and gas of Caspian Sea are in the center
of world’s interest there will be no war. "When the resources are over
or when Azerbaijan loses its power the interest towards the region
will be decreased and then we’ll solve our problems ourselves," he
said. He has notified that today there is no self governed Azerbaijan.

As for the Bishkeq agreement signed 14 years ago, the politician said
that there is no need to revise it.

"Today it is used as armistice agreement, but there are more points
there. The current agreement is signed by the NKR as a direct side
of the conflict," said Shahnazaryan. According to him any attempt to
solve the conflict without NKr participation will be unsuccessful.