Author: Emil Lazarian

“TELEVISION DAY” IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
March 16 2006

At March 15 sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture and Youth Affairs the draft of RA Law on Making Amendments
and Addendum on Higher and Post-Graduate Specialized Education.

As Sergo Yeritsyan, RA Minister of Education and Science, as
the faculty is the structural division of the higher educational
institution, and the dean of the faculty carries out the management
of the faculty and the organization of the work, except the
scientific-pedagogical activity, his work is also of administrative
nature, what is suggested to fix in the law.

In some MPs’ view, the dean can carry out administrative functions,
but it doesn’t mean that his/her post, it’s of organizational
character. Committee Chairwoman Hranush Hakobyan proposed the authors
to specify this disputable problem with RA Ministry of Justice, clarify
the problem of complying it with the law, after which guarantee to
put it on the sittings agenda.

Gevorg Gevorgyan, RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, presented
the draft on Libraries and Library Science, informing that taking into
account the claims and suggestions voiced during the parliamentary
hearings the draft has been improved. He noted in particular that the
name of the draft has been changed into draft on Libraries. There
are also amendments on the librarians’ training, the necessity of
compliance with their specialty and availability of at least one
community library in each community.

Hranush Hakobyan, Committee Chairwoman, noticed that we should be
realistic and should not add any provision on double fold of the
salary without any financial ground, to lay down the problem of
having compulsory specialized education in the conditions of the
specialists’ lack, which can be a reason of social encroachments. At
Mrs. Hakobyan’s proposal the draft was guaranteed to be put on the
agenda of the session of the National Assembly.

Alexan Harutiunyan, Chairman of the Public TV and Radio Council
addressed the 2005 activity of the Council, presenting the goals of
the activity, the measures ensuring them, the implemented programmes,
the indices of financing, the commercial and investment activity. Mr.

Harutiunyan informed that till the end of 2006 the works of technical
upgrading of TV and Radio Company will be completed, providing
with international indices the high quality of the broadcasting
programmes. The Public TV Company has done a lot of work in
re-broadcasting the programmes through cable and other communications
in the settlements having Armenian big communities abroad, making more
accessible for the Diasporan Armenians the watching of the programmes
pf Public TV Company.

On December 2005 on the assistance of the Public TV Company and
involved credit expenses the Shirak Public TV and Radio obtained
technical means, due to which instead of network the broadcasting of
the radio programmes is carried out within FM for 24 hours. Mr.

Harutiunyan expressed a hope that during the discussion of the 2007
state budget draft the National Assembly will support in adding the
financing of Shirak Public TV and Radio Company.

According to the programme “State Order in TV Films Production”
envisaged by 2005 state budget, “Yerevan Studio” CJSC has shot two
TV films: one of them related to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, and the other one – the 60th anniversary of the victory in
the Patriotic war.

Mr. Harutiunyan informed that the live broadcasting have cultural
and sports events of international importance is carried out on the
expenses of commercial revenues: the 2006 World Cup Football matches
will also be broadcast with those means.

Alexan Harutiunyan also touched upon the broadcasting of TV and
radio programmes on National Assembly activity, noting that they
propose to regulate them not by law but on contractual bases, which
doesn’t assume the financial obligations. He said that he applied to
Mr. Baghdasaryan, President of the National Assembly, with a letter,
and he hopes that in near future the council will have an opportunity
to meet with NA leadership in order to thoroughly discuss that issue.

Grigor Amalyan, Chairman of the TV and Radio National Commission,
addressed the 2005 activity, presenting the amendments made on the
list of the envisaged frequencies for the TV and radio broadcasting,
the results of 2005 broadcasting competitions.

At the authors’ proposal the commission postponed for 15 days the
debate on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA law on the Information
Freedom and the package of the addenda and amendments being proposed
in other 6 laws connected with it.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HUNDREDS TO JOIN WORLD AZERIS CONGRESS

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006

Over a thousand representatives from different countries will gather
in the Azeri capital Baku to attend the second congress of World
Azerbaijanis on Thursday.

The event is to draw 1,300 visitors, including more than 600 from
49 countries, the chairman of the State Committee on Work with
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, Nazim Ibrahimov, said. Most of the
attendees, 170, will arrive from neighboring Russia, while 60 from the
former Soviet republic of Ukraine, 40 Georgia, 39 Turkey, 33 Germany,
25 Kazakhstan. Visitors from France, Sweden, Netherlands, Hungary,
Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria are expected as well.

Azeri representatives from Egypt, Iceland, Japan, Thailand, Australia
and New Zealand will be in attendance for the first time. About 300
political figures, MPs from dozens of countries, officials, renowned
scientists and intellectuals, who have contributed to the development
of Azerbaijani communities abroad, will be among the attendees,
along with representatives of the Jewish and Turkic communities,
Ibrahimov said. Speaking at the event will be Turkish state minister
on Turkic states Mehmet Aydin, ex-state secretary of the former
German Federal Republic Otto Hauser, state secretary of Kyrgyzstan
Dastan Sarigulov, former French ambassador to Azerbaijan Jean Perren,
Michael Nobel, the grandson of Alfred Nobel, and others. “The congress
will discuss a number of issues pertaining to the current standing of
the Azerbaijani Diaspora and ways of informing the world community
about Azerbaijan’s realities, acts of terror and genocide committed
against Azeris and strengthening relations with other communities,”
Ibrahimov said. The participants are expected to adopt appeals to world
Azeris and the international community concerning the Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict, as well as Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan
and the destruction of historical and cultural sites in the occupied
territories. Ibrahimov noted that intense discussions are currently
under way on establishing a special fund for the Azeri Diaspora.

“Some believe that the entity should be an independent public
organization, while others say it should be a government agency.”

There are currently about 50 million Azerbaijanis throughout the
world, including 30m in neighboring Iran, two million in the country’s
northern neighbor Russia, 1.5 million in the United States, 500,000
in Ukraine, and 350,000 in France, according to the State Committee.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GERMANY LIFTS BAN ON TALAT PASHA DEMONSTRATION

New Anatolian, Turkey
March 16 2006

The German Administrative Court late Tuesday lifted a ban on the Talat
Pasha demonstration, saying that the march will not harm Armenians.

The march set for Saturday in Berlin aims to have recognition of
the Armenian genocide claims by European countries rescinded. The
court’s decision follows a ban imposed on the march by Berlin’s police
department on Monday.

The court also underlined in its decision that the march isn’t an
insult to the souls of dead Armenians.

The march, which has the slogan “Take your flag and come to Berlin,”
has caused tension between Turkey and Germany. Flyers announcing
the movement read, “If Western capitals don’t want to be burned like
Paris, unjust treatment towards Turkey must end.” Workers’ Party (IP)
leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned demonstration
with the participation of many representatives from Turkish political
parties and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the
framework of the Talat Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to
put pressure on the German Parliament to remove official recognition
of the Armenian genocide claims. The movement also aims to attract
some 5 million supporters, including some 1,000 from Turkey.

Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in Berlin where
Talat Pasha was assassinated on March 15, 1921 by an Armenian, and
an assembly will gather in a memorial for Talat Pasha on Sunday.

In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in Ankara
turned down yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending
to participate in the demonstration.

AUTHOR TO GIVE READING

Lincoln Journal, MA
March 16 2006

Local author Ken Janjigian will give a reading and sign copies of
his new novel “Trapped Doors” Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at the
Lincoln Public Library.

Daphne Abeel of the Armenian Mirror Spectator said of “Trapped Doors,”
“Janjigian demonstrates a knack for the comic and an ear for dialogue
in these stories…His descriptions of the varied cast of barflies are
painfully hilarious. Janjigian captures their dilemma in as pitiless a
light as the American dramatist, Eugene O’Neill, and with considerably
more humor.”

“Trapped Doors” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, independent
bookstores, and directly from the publisher through

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

USA BUILDING RADAR STATION IN ARMENIAN CAPITAL – AZERI DAILY

Yeni Musavat, Baku
13 Mar 06

Excerpt from report by Kanan in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 13 March headlined “Armenia’s military and political line remains
unchanged” and subheaded “An expert says this country is not expected
to become pro-Western in the near future”

A radar station is being built on the territory of the US embassy
in Armenia. Reports on the matter say that the construction is
already under way on the six-hectare area which has been allocated
for the US embassy in the capital Yerevan. The reports also say that
Russia has got angry at the Armenian leadership’s consent to this
construction. Considering this facility to be a threat to itself,
the Russian leadership has been exerting pressure on the [Armenian
President Robert] Kocharyan government.

The construction of the military facility in the Armenian capital
by the USA is a demonstration of this country’s increased pressure
on Armenia. At the same time, this fact can be described as another
stage in the policy of freeing Armenia from Russia’s claws. We wonder
whether the political orientation of Armenia, Russia’s outpost in
the Caucasus, can change.

Political scientist Rasim Musabayov believes that the US government
does not rely on the Armenian defence systems, and that is why,
it may create a minor defence system to defend its embassy in
Armenia. But this system is unlikely to have major capacity:
“The construction of the radar station on the territory of the US
embassy may have some intelligence purposes. But it cannot be for air
defence purposes. Even if they get this capacity, this [air defence]
is possible only locally. Probably, the US embassy does not rely on
Russians’ air defence of the Armenian territory and builds this station
to defend the embassy. But this does not mean that the station that
will be built on the territory of the embassy can replace Russia’s
air defence facilities.”

[Passage omitted: Musabayov says Armenia’s foreign policy unlikely
to change]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONFERENCE : SOUTH CAUCASUS – BETWEEN FROZEN CONFLICTS AND FROZEN PEACE
Wilco de Jonge Bron: Press Now

Oneworld, Netherlands
March 16 2006

A program about the condition of the civil society in the emerging
democracies in the South Caucasus.

This area is one of the most complex and conflict-prone

regions of the former Soviet Union. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; as

well as the disputed areas of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and

Nagorno-Karabakh are home to a true patchwork of ethnic and religious
groups.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union this has caused several
complex and long lasting conflicts. Furthermore the democratisation
process in these country’s is bothered by the everlasting strong
influence form Russia in this region. There are however also a few
positive developments. Azerbaijan and Armenian have taken the first
steps towards a peace process, and since the Rose Revolution of 2003
Georgia tries to outwrestle herself – with a fresh national awareness-
of the Russian sphere of influence.

The evening is mainly organised around two themes: the freedom of
press and expression in the South Caucasus, and the relation Caucasian
Countries have with Russia.

With: Akaki Gogichaishvili (Producer from Rustavi 2 – Georgia), Boris
Navasardian ( President of Yerevan Press Club – Armenia) and Arif
Aliyev (Editor in Chief of the Gun, daily newspaper in Azerbaijan).

Moving Worlds is an initiative of the debalie in co-production
with NCDO.

This evening is also in co-production with Press Now, Mira Media and
Media diversity Institute.

Ticketbox and reservations

prices: regular 7,50 / reduction 5,-

opening times

weekdays 14.00-18.00 or till an 1/2 hour after the start of the
last program

weekend 11/2 hour before the start of the first program of the day.

reservation number: 020 55 35 100 (during opening-times)

debalie / Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 / 1017 RR / Amsterdam

_2&articleId=7882

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEETING AT NA STANDING COMMITTEE

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
March 16 2006

On March 16 Hranush Hakobyan, Chairwoman of NA Standing Committee
on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs, met with Erwin
Asenbauer, President of “AFIDE” Association of Former United Nations
Industrial and Development Experts and Arshaluys Tchgnavorian, Former
Deputy Director of UN General Issues. Mr. Erwin Asenbauer informed
that the goal of “AFIDE” Association is to support the countries
being on the road of economic development. It was mentioned that it
is envisaged to set up an Association office in Yerevan.

In Mrs. Hakobyan’s view the Association can start its activity
studying the government-submitted “Medium-Term Development” pogramme
and the “Armenia’s Future Till 2020,” made by the support of Diasporan
Armenians. Mrs. Hakobyan highlighted the investment of scientific
achievements in the sphere of economy. She proposed the experts of
“AFIDE” Association to study the problems of harmonizing economy with
ecology, the basin of lake Sevan, the social and economic situation
of the population of Armenia’s regions. The cooperation in the sphere
of economy and the organization of the conference on the problems of
harmonizing economy and science were highlighted.

Other issues were also discussed at the meeting.

GROUPS IN AKHALKALAKI WANT ARMENIAN AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 16 2006

Akhalkalaki-based Virk and Javakhk organizations have requested the
Georgian authorities to announce Armenian as the second official
language in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, which is predominantly
populated by ethnic Armenians.

At a news conference on March 16 representatives of these
organizations said that they have already sent an appeal to those
four parliamentarians, who represent Armenian community, and asked
them to push the issue in the Georgian legislative body.

A group of non-governmental organizations based in Samtskhe-Javakheti
region requested last September the Georgian leadership to consider
possibility of granting the region autonomy with “broad authority
for self-governance, including the right to hold elections for all
bodies of governance.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PETER SEMNEBY: “I ASSUMED MY NEW OFFICE AS I BELIEVED SETTLEMENT OF NK CONFLICT”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006

“I will regularly get in touch with the OSCE Mink Group co-chairs to
be sure that initiatives for the settlement of the Nagorno Garabagh
conflict are coordinated in a right way,” European Union special
representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby reported. (APA).

He thinks there is much likelihood that the conflict will be settled
in 2006.

“Taking into account the high hopes that failed in the latest meeting
between Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents, it is difficult to say
how realistic these hopes were,” Mr. Semneby said.

“I have to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia and exchange of views with
the co-chairs to get full idea of the situation. However, I must
admit that if I had not believed the settlement of the conflict I
would not have agreed to my appointment to this position,” the EU
representative added.

According to him, the basic priority of his activities will be
promoting settlement of frozen conflicts in the region. He said that
there are expectations that the EU will play an important role after
attaining agreements over settlement of conflicts.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN RESIDENTS STAGE RALLY IN TSALKA

Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 16 2006

Tbilisi. March 16 (Prime News) – The residents of Georgian origin
of Tsalka District of Samtskhe-Javakheti Region staged a rally on
Thursday and called the Armenian population to peaceful coexistence.

Tens of thousand participants of the rally did not ask for any
privileges. They were supporting the local government and said that
the law enforcers must undertake more efficient measures for crime
prevention and bring the criminals to responsibility despite of
their origin, Prime-News was told by Mikheil Tskitishvili, head of
the local governmental unit.

They also said that record keeping must be in Georgian in the region
and called the local population of Armenian origin to peaceful
coexistence.

The local population of Armenian origin staged a protest rally in
Tsalka several days ago, after murder of the Armenian young man. They
were demeaning lynching of the suspected murderers.

The protest rallies were staged in Akhalkalaki for the same reason.

The participants of the rally raided the local governmental unit,
local branch of the TbilisiStateUniversity and court. They were
demanding Armenian record keeping too.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress