Author: Kajoyan Gevork

28% OF FORESTS IN ARMENIA ARE SPARSE AND ENDANGERED

Panorama
July 20 2011
Armenia

About 70% of fields in Armenia are endangered to die; they are old
and need some fresh revival, Ruben Petrosyan from “Armenian Forest”
state non-profit organization (SNPO) told the reporters today in a
news conference.

According to him Armenia is listed among the countries which have
scarce forests. “There are 70 countries in the world which have scare
forest,” Ruben Petrosyan said.

The official says once the forests covered approximately 40% of lands,
but now we have sparse forests. “28% of Armenian forests are sparse,
abandoned,” R. Petrosyan said.

“Armenian Forest” SNPO is careful with the illegal cuttings of the
trees and has revealed 1058 cut trees. The official says social
problems may cause tree cutting most of the time.

OUVERTURE DE LA FRONTIERE POUR LES TRANSFRONTALIERS
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mercredi 20 juillet 2011

A l’occasion de la visite a Ankara de cinq representants
d’Organisations non gouvernementales armeniens de la Fondation pour
la recherche sur les politiques economiques (TEPAV), ces derniers
auraient recu, hier, l’assurance du ministre des Affaires etrangères,
Ahmet Davutoglu, que la frontière orientale de la Turquie pourrait
etre ouverte prochainement aux transporteurs transfrontaliers.

Profitant de cette rencontre avec le chef de la diplomatie turque,
Michael Hovannissian, representant du Fonds “Eraziya-cooperation”, l’a
interroge sur la reprise du processus de negociation avec l’Armenie.”

Malheureusement, nous n’avons pas obtenu de reponse concrète. Les
dates exactes n’ont pas ete divulguees, mais on nous a assure que la
partie turque prendra toutes les mesures necessaires dans ce but “,
dit Hovannissian.

Les membres de la delegation armenienne ont dit qu’ils ont ete
impressionnes par les discussions franches et ouvertes qui ont eu lieu
au ministère. Le chef du Centre regional d’etudes, Richard Kirakosian,
a souligne qu’il a d’abord ete impressionne par le temps qui a ete
consacre a la discussion, ainsi que par l’ouverture d’esprit et la
sociabilite du ministre des Affaires etrangères Ahmet Davutoglu.

Les discussions ont egalement aborde la question du genocide armenien.

Les membres de la delegation armenienne ont note qu’a ce jour, en
Turquie, de plus en plus de gens sont conscients du genocide armenien
par rapport aux annees precedentes. Selon Kirakosian, ” malgre le
problème des frontières, la frontière psychologique entre les deux
pays semble etre ouverte “. Soulignant, que sur cette question,
le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères avait exprime son accord.

ARMENIAN FM AWARDED EGYPTIAN SCIENTIST STUDYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

news.am
July 19 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian awarded Egyptian historian,
professor at the University of Alexandria Mohammad Refat al-Imam
with the MFA medal. The historian studied Armenian culture, history
and Genocide and has great contribution in presenting Armenia in
Arab world.

Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Armen Melkonyan presented the award to
Mohammad Refat on July 17 in Egypt at the Armenian Embassy, press
service of MFA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Ambassador thanked the scientist for 20 years contribution in
studying the Armenian Genocide and the history of Egyptian-Armenian
community.

ARMENIAN FORESTERS LACK EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

news.am
July 19 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Only 7-8 percent of the employees of Armenian forestry
enterprises have appropriate knowledge about forest and caring for
it, director of “Armenian forest” of Armenian Ministry of Agriculture
Martun Matevosyan told the journalists on Tuesday.

“Those employees are not allocated equally in forestry. This explains
cutting of healthy trees during sanitary works,” the director told.

Armenia has nineteen forestry enterprises.

DAVUTOGLU MEETS ARMENIAN CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS

Today’s Zaman
July 19 2011
Turkey

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu met with representatives of some
Armenian civil society organizations earlier this week, diplomatic
sources said on Tuesday.

The representatives of five Armenia-based CSOs were in the
Turkish capital as part of a project being undertaken by the
Ankara-based Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV),
diplomatic sources told the Anatolia news agency, noting that these
representatives had held talks at the Foreign Ministry on Monday in
addition to meetings with Turkish CSOs.

The course of affairs regarding bilateral relations between Armenia
and Turkey, as well as other issues regarding the Caucasus were on the
agenda of talks between Davutoðlu and the Armenian representatives,
Anatolia reported.

The group also met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun
Sinirlioðlu and other senior diplomats in addition to Davutoðlu,
the agency said without elaborating.

The meetings at the Foreign Ministry come after a senior Armenian
official last month called on Ankara to revive currently stalled
efforts to normalize bilateral relations between the two estranged
neighbors, while arguing that the improvement of relations between
Armenia and Turkey would also serve as an impetus for improving
relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and also for peace in
the region.

“As neighbors, we should know each other through frequent visits,”
Artak Davtyan, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia, told a group of journalists visiting the country in late
June, while underlining the importance of the activities by civil
society organizations to gradually normalize relations between the
two countries since the official process has been stalled.

BAKU WELCOMES US-TURKEY DISCUSSIONS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT

news.az
July 19 2011
Azerbaijan

Stability in the region is possible only after withdrawal of Armenian
occupying forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Azerbaijan welcomes any initiative aimed at a just solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and therefore appreciates the talks between
foreign ministers of the United States and Turkey in Istanbul.

The statement came from the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.

‘The US is one of the Minsk Group co-chairs and Turkey is one
of the leading countries in the region. So, discussions over the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue by these countries may give a positive impetus
in achieving stability in the region. However, stability in the region
is possible only after withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from
occupied Azerbaijani territories,’ the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
said in a statement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu and US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton discussed settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at
a meeting in Istanbul a couple of days ago.

TURKISH FM MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN NGOS

news.am
July 19 2011
Armenia

Representatives of 5 Armenian non-governmental organizations met with
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu during their visit to Turkey
at the invitation of Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey
(TEPAV).

Spokesman for Turkish FM also received the representatives of Armenian
NGOs, Turkish TRT reports. The participants discussed Armenia-Turkey
relations and developments in the Caucasus. No other details are
available.

PUPILS OF COLLAPSED SCHOOLS OF SYUNIK TO ATTEND OTHER SCHOOLS

ARMENPRESS
JULY 19, 2011
KAPAN

All necessary conditions will be created for the organization of
study process of the pupils of the collapsed Kapan N2 school and N1
school of Tegh village. It is impossible to solve the issue of the
collapsed buildings till the beginning of the academic year. The
Urban Development Ministry decided to build a new building instead
of the school of Tegh village. The fate of the Kapan school will be
decided in 10 days.

The people responsible say the two schools will function from the
2011-2012 academic year in new and convenient building. Ludwig Davtyan,
head of the Syunik governor’s office’s education, culture and sports
department, told Armenpress that in the coming academic year a part
of the pupils of Tegh village will attend the newly constructed
school of the neighboring Aravus village. The lessons for pupils
of elementary classes will be organized in the territory of medical
center of the village.

The pupils of the collapsed school of Kapan will visit N6 and N1
schools.

L’ARMENIE ACCROCHE LA RUSSIE (2-2), LEADER DES CHAMPIONNATS DU MONDE
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
mercredi 20 juillet 2011

Hier, pour la 3e ronde des championnats du monde des echecs par equipe
qui se deroulent a Nogbo en Chine en presence des 10 meilleures equipes
mondiales, l’Armenie a fait partie nulle (2-2) face a la Russie, leader
provisoire de ces competitions. Tout d’abord Alexandre Grichtchuk face
a Sergueï Movsissian et Vladimir Hagopian face a Yan Nepomnyashchi
ont realise des parties nulles. Puis Gabriel Sarkissian qui jouait
avec les noirs a perdu face a Piotr Svedler. Enfin, Levon Aronian le
meilleur joueur armenien a gagne au bout de 5 heures de combat face
a Sergueï Kariakiane, permettant ainsi a l’Armenie d’arracher le
nul. Dans les autres rencontres, la Hongrie s’est imposee (2,5-1,5)
face a l’Azerbaïdjan. La Chine a gagne face a Israël. Les Etats-Unis
ont ecrase l’Egypte (3,5-0,5). La Russie avec 5 points est en tete
du classement provisoire après 3 tours. L’Armenie est en deuxième
position avec 4 points.

‘GOLDEN APRICOT’ FOR BEST FEATURE FILM BESTOWED UPON ‘NADER AND SEMIN, THE SEPERATION’ BY ASGHAR FARHADI

arminfo
Monday, July 18, 16:00

The winners of the 8th Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film
Festival have been announced.

In the International Feature Film Competition, “Golden Apricot”
for the best feature film was bestowed upon “Nader and Semin, the
Seperation” by an Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. “Silver Apricot”
was awarded to “The Journals of Musan” by Park Jungbum. The Special
Jury Prize was given to “The Prize” by Paula Markovitch.

As regards the International Documentary Film Competition, Golden
Apricot was awarded to “The World according to Ion B.” by Alexander
Nanau; Silver Apricot to “Summer Pasture” by Lynn True, Nelson Walker
III, Tsering Perlo; and Special Mention to Magnificent Nothing by
Ahmad Seyedkeshmiri.

Regarding Armenian Panorama Competition Program, Golden Apricot for
Best Armenian Film and Best Short film was awarded to “Loading My
Life” by Haroutyun Shatyan; Silver Apricot to “The Spaceship” by Emil
Mkrtchian, and Special Mention to “The Last Hippie of the Pink City”
by Anastasia Popova.

Concerning Golden Apricot Stone Competition for Short Films, Golden
Apricot was awarded to Glasgow by Piotr Subbotko, Special Mention
to Bicycle by Serhat Karaaslan, FIPRESCI Jury Prize to “Mandoo” by
Ebrahim Saeedi. Hrant Matevosyan Prize went to Emil Mkrttchian for
the film “The Spaceship”.

British Council established a prize, which was awarded to “Loading
My Life” by Haroutyun Shatyan. The same film won the “Nvard” prize.

The Special Prize of the Armenian Film Academy “Unique Artistic View”
went to “The Prize” by Paula Markovitch.