Author: Harutyunian Christine

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO ARRIVE IN THE REGION TOMORROW

ArmRadio.am
23.05.2006 16:55

May 24 OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs accompanied by Deputy Foreign
Ministers of their countries will pay a visit to the region. The
discussions on the settlement of the Karabakh issue will start
tomorrow.

Tomorrow the Co-Chairs, as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State Daniel Fried, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin
and Director on Political Issue of the French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Stanislas D’ Labouiet will first visit Baku then Yerevan.

HASMIK POGHOSAYN APPOINTED RA MINISTER OF CULTURE AND YOUTH ISSUES

ArmRadio.am
23.05.2006 10:27

According to RA President’s decree of May 22 Gevorg Gevorgyan was
dismissed from the position of RA Minister of Culture and Youth
Issues. According to another decree, Hasmik Poghosayn was appointed
to the position.

A STEP UP FROM THE CHAIN GANG: CRAFTS CREATED BY ARMENIAN INMATES PRISONERS PROUD OF HANDIWORK
Avet Demourian

Toronto Star, Canada
May 22 2006

YEREVAN, Armenia-Men in black turtlenecks bend over the workshop
tables, intently carving key chains, model ships, even an elaborate
walnut backgammon set.

These and other handicrafts will go for sale at the Prison Arts kiosk
at a weekend market in the centre of Yerevan, the capital. It’s part
of a new program to occupy the time of Armenia’s prison inmates.

The program is the brainchild of Justice Minister David Arutyunian
and the director of the ministry’s prison reform program, Nikolai
Arustamian. The inmate “is occupied, he creates and gets satisfaction
from this,” Arutyunian says. “For many, the financial aspect is
secondary.”

The prisoners weave wall hangings and craft watches, religious
medallions, slippers and leather cases for mobile phones and keys.

Each piece gets a label in Armenian and English identifying the
craftsman and describing what materials were used.

The label does not indicate the sentence being served by the artisan
or the crime – but the inmates eagerly volunteer that information.

“I’ve been `inside’ since I was 16,” says 34-year-old Fyodor
Matriashin, serving his sixth sentence for robbery. “I began making
wooden boxes when I first arrived, but I used to give them away. Now
I’m paid for them.”

Each of Armenia’s 13 prisons, home to some 3,000 inmates, had some
sort of manufacturing department when the country was part of the
Soviet Union, but production shut down and most of the equipment was
carted away after the federation broke apart at the end of 1991.

An advocacy group, the Assistance to the Prisoner Fund, started
prisoners making clothes and now is trying to revive the manufacture
of ceramics and bricks at Erebuni prison, a facility in Yerevan for
repeat offenders.

But it is the crafts workshops that seem to give prisoners the
greatest satisfaction.

“Just about everyone in the prison uses my cigarette holders,” says
Abel Pogosian, a 32-year-old serving his fifth sentence for assault.

“Now maybe someone on the outside will like them, too.”

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: NON-APPLIANCE OF FORCE IMPORTANT IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 13:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Heydar Aliyev was a realist. When he raised the
issue of Karabakh, he meant only 7 regions without NK. Return of
the regions was a priority to him. For his son an agreement with
Armenians is more dangerous. To avoid it he Ilham Aliyev keeps on
including Nagorno Karabakh in the notion of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan,” Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov
stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

Vladimir Kazimirov reminded that all principles fixed in the UN
Declaration of 1948 and confirmed by the Helsinki Agreement are of
equal value – this also refers to people’s right to self-determination
and inviolability of borders. In conflict situations a peaceful
agreement is much more important that force.

“Moreover, these principles should be developed. The Helsinki
Agreement summed up the outcomes of the WWII and outlined the norms
of relations between the states. With the existence of various state
systems and nuclear weapons any territorial tremor could lead to
large-scale hostilities. The 1990-ies brought tectonic changes and
force majeur. Collapse of great power like the USSR undermined the
magic of the Helsinki formulas,” he remarked.

The Russian diplomat underscored that Heydar Aliyev’s successors
excite the militaristic campaign in Azerbaijan and this cripples the
moral basis of the society, especially of the young generation.

“President Ilham Aliyev himself accelerates the armament race. It’s a
pity that the OSCE watches this calmly. If the organization proceeded
to the settlement of the conflict it should counteract anything that
impedes its peaceful mission,” the former Co-Chair of the OSCE MG said.

AZERI FM OFF TO STRASBOURG
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND, Azerbaijan
May 18 2006

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov left for Strasbourg
on 18 May, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

The key objective of the visit is to participate in a meeting of the
CE Ministerial Committee to be held on 18-20 May. The minister also
intends to hold a meeting with the senior official of this European
organization. The minister will have an informal meeting with special
representative of the UN Secretary General on issue of status for
Kosovo, Marti Akhtisaari.

Mammadyarov is expected to conduct consultations with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs with his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanian.

NDU INITIATES MEETINGS WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF “17+1” FORMAT

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The goal of the recent meeting
of members of boards of the National Democratic Union (NDU) and
Zharangutiun (Heritage) parties was to discuss the possibilities
of creating a public movement within the framework of the “17+1”
format. NDU Chairman Vazgen Manukian declared this at the same time
mentioning that soon his party will have such meetings with other
parties, too. According to him, “this is a period of not active
actions, but active negotiations, a period of clarification of
general viewpoints”. In response to the question about the possible
participation of the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party in the
above-mentioned discussions NDU Chairman said that “OYP itself has
not determined it place yet”. Meanwhile he considered possible future
cooperation with OYP Chairman Artur Baghdasarian saying that it is
not obligatory within the framework of the “17+1” format. According
to him, some verges for cooperation will be found as in spite of the
OYP’s shortcomings and the “circumstance of its involvement in bad
things, there is energy and people to cooperate with in OYP”.

UGSAD CALLS ON DEBRE TO REJECT DRAFT LAW ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Anatolian Times, Turkey
May 18 2006

ANKARA – The National Security and Strategic Studies Association
(UGSAD) sent a letter to French Parliament Speaker Jean Louis Debre on
Tuesday, and called on him to reject the draft law, which was submitted
to the French parliament with the aim of punishing individuals who
deny so-called Armenian genocide.

In its letter, UGSAD stressed that the draft was against human rights,
democracy and understanding of law.

“It is quite offensive if a parliament makes unilateral decisions on
issues concerning another country. Such a draft will overshadow the
friendly relations between Turkey and France. Scientific researches,
which were carried out on the basis of documents of western sources,
revealed that Armenian allegations were totally baseless. When we
compare Armenian population before 1914 and after the World War I,
we can easily see inconsistency of such claims that 1.5 million
Armenians were killed. Although Turkey has opened all its archives,
Armenia constantly refrains from opening its archives,” it said.

UGSAD emphasized that Turkey would never recognize so-called Armenian
genocide as it had never committed such a thing in its history.

“Historical facts cannot be changed through such laws. If the draft is
approved, it will inevitably play havoc with Turkey-France relations,”
it added.

STUDENTS EARN NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY ABROAD

Arizona State University, Tempe
May 17 2006

Next year, at least 21 ASU students will be studying abroad on
prestigious national scholarships, increasing the outreach and impact
of the university. Ten students have won Fulbright Scholarships,
and 11 undergraduates have won National Security Education Program
(NSEP) awards to study overseas.

ASU ranks among the top public universities in the country for both
awards, according to Janet Burke, associate dean of the Barrett Honors
College and director of the national scholarship advisement office. In
addition, five Fulbright applicants and six NSEP applicants from ASU
have been named alternates.

“The increased attention the university is paying to global studies,
the proliferation of foreign languages offered, and the cutting-edge
research in which so many faculty members are engaged all translate
into a student body that is well informed and well disposed to study
and research in foreign countries,” Burke says. “The faculty members
at ASU also tend to be very helpful to students in formulating their
plans and projects, and supportive in helping them establish the
necessary contacts overseas.

“Then there is the fact that success breeds interest. When one student
in a department or college wins a major award, I typically will see
a stream of students from that department coming into my office the
next year.”

Fulbright students apply for a particular country and find specialists
who are willing to work with them on their chosen course of study,
receiving full travel, living and academic expenses for an academic
year. The NSEP awards provide up to $20,000 for a year’s study
in countries that are outside Western Europe, Australia and New
Zealand. They provide a base of future leaders for the United States
who understand less familiar languages and cultures.

Two of the Fulbright students will study in Indonesia. Chris Lundry,
a doctoral student in political science, will study the country’s
success at incorporating ethnic and religious minorities on the
island of Sumba. Willow Paule, a fine arts graduate in photography,
will teach English and create a photography project.

Naomi Bellot, a doctoral student in justice studies, will study
the impact of HIV/AIDS on Carib women in Dominica. Boyd Branch, a
graduate in theater, will go to the Netherlands to study contemporary
Dutch and European theater at the University of Utrecht. He also will
intern with a leading Dutch theater festival.

Kate Murray, doctoral student in clinical psychology, will spend the
year in Australia studying the effects of resettlement programs on
refugees, compared to those in Phoenix. Noah Theriault, graduating in
anthropology, will study a coastal resource management project in the
Philippines. Christopher Graham, graduate in environmental studies,
will research drought in Mauritius .

Others who will teach English while pursuing their research interests
are Liz Dreeland, graduate in Spanish, teaching in Uruguay; Naomi
Moland, doctoral student in multicultural languages and literacy,
in Spain; and Akshai Patel, master’s student in curriculum and
instruction, in Chile.

Of the NSEP award winners, all but two of them are undergraduates
enrolled in the Barrett Honors College, and most of them have double
majors in other ASU colleges. They will be studying languages and
cultures in Asia , the Middle East and eastern Europe.

They include Steven Cottam, majoring in world religions and history,
and Erin Hutchinson, international relations and history, both going
to Armenia; Natalia Anker-Lagos, philosophy and Slavic languages,
and Scott Legler, Slavic languages and literatures, both going to
Tatarstan; and John Wulsin, economics and Chinese languages, and Jia
Yi, finance and marketing, both going to China.

Others are Melissa Archibald, political science and Slavic languages,
who will study in Russia; Eva Farnsworth, environmental engineering,
Jordan; Jamie Forseth, political science and music, Poland; Hannah
Mensing, mechanical engineering, Turkey; and Madelyn Yribarren,
social anthropology, Egypt.

TODAY IS THE WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION DAY

A1+
[01:16 pm] 17 May, 2006

The annual observance of World Telecommunication Day, marking the
founding of the International Telecommunication Union on 17 May 1865,
has drawn attention to the work of ITU and the broader challenges
of global communication. From the days of the telegraph through
space-age communication, and now in cyberspace, ITU has helped to
connect the world.

In recognition of this evolution, the World Summit on the Information
Society, which was held in two phases (in Geneva in 2003 and in
Tunis in 2005), proposed that 17 May henceforth be celebrated as
World Information Society Day. The Summit’s aim was to build an open,
inclusive, people-centred, knowledge-based information society that
will accelerate the pace of development. This occasion now highlights
the link between the great potential of information and communication
technologies and our goal of accelerating the pace of development.

The Summit recognized the importance of building confidence and trust
in the use of ICTs. This is reflected in the theme for this year’s
observance, /promoting global cybersecurity/. In an increasingly
interconnected and networked world, it has become critically important
to safeguard our vital systems and infrastructures against attack by
cybercriminals, while instilling confidence in online transactions in
order to promote trade, commerce, banking, telemedicine, e-government
and a host of other e-applications. As this depends on the security
practices of each and every networked country, business and citizen,
we need to develop a global culture of cybersecurity.

I therefore urge all Member States and stakeholders to help
increase global awareness of cybersecurity, and to develop an
international network of initiatives and ICT-based countermeasures
to enhance security and build trust in the use of information and
communication technologies. This is essential for the continued
growth and development of our economies, and especially important
for developing countries.

More broadly, on this annual observance, let us all pledge to connect
the unconnected and build a free and safe information society that
will spur development for all the world’s people.

OYK YOUTH BRANCH EXPRESSES UNCONDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN AND PARTY HEADING BODY

Noyan Tapan
May 16 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. “We are sure that the decision made by
our party’s political council and leader on leaving the coalition is
right and we express our unconditional assistance to party Chairman
Artur Baghdasarian, political council and administration members and
do not hide our inspiration with their principal and honest way of
actions,” is said in the statement adopted at the May 14 enlarged
special sitting of the “Orinats Yerkir” (Country of Law) party youth
union’s administration. The statement was made public at the May
16 press-conference. The statement authors express at the same time
their readiness to make more efforts from now on and decisively to
struggle for seeing the power of law, social justice and prosperous
life in the action in Armenia. “We are decisively intended in our
struggle making coming political great victories closer, moreover,
in the opposing field,” youth of the OYK party assures. They aslo
consider inadmissible and condemn “unprincipled behaviour of being led
by fragmentary interests” of people left the party. OYK youth branch
head Samvel Farmanian assured that their organization has at present
about 8 thousand members only about 500 of who joined the party during
the last developments connected with the party. According to him,
no case of young people’s leaving the branch was fixed, even more,
120 young people expressed will to join the party on May 16.