Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN LANGUAGE PAN-ARMENIAN CONTESTS ASSIST IN INTRODUCTION OF COMMON EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS, PRIME MINISTER

/ ARKA /
July 18, 2011
YEREVAN

Conduction of pan-Armenian contests on language, literature and related
subjects assist in the introduction of common educational standards,
prime minister Tigran Sarkisian said at the opening ceremony of
the event.

“We must do everything so that Armenian children living abroad learn
as much as possible about their homeland country and get strongly
connected with it , and the children in Armenia learn about their
Diaspora peers. This interpenetration will enrich our knowledge and
help us strengthen our unity,” he said speaking at the opening of
the Fifth Pan-Armenian Olympiad on Armenian language, literature and
Armenian subjects.

“These events primarily symbolize our unity. We declare that
wherever we are the most important values for us are our language
and literature, our history and culture. We pass these values to our
children, teach them to be Armenians, are proud of our r roots and
history “, he said.

The ceremony was attended by minister of education and science Armen
Ashotyan, deputy minister of Diaspora Stepan Petrosyan, representatives
of the National Assembly and other officials.

The Fifth Pan-Armenian Olympiad on Armenian language, literature and
Armenian subjects, dedicated to 20th anniversary of independence,
has brought 130 children from 12 countries.

The even is funded by the state budget. Assistance is also provided
by the Christian Education Center of Holy Echmiadzin and Zangak-97
publishing house. The first contest was held in 2003.

EXPERT SAYS AZERI SNIPERS’ INTENSIFICATION FADES AWAY

ARMENPRESS
JULY 18, 2011
YEREVAN

The official Yerevan and Stepanakert has always supported the viewpoint
on the withdrawal of the snipers from the line of contact, military
expert Davit Jamalyan said speaking to Armenpress.

He said as to the Azerbaijani party it has cynically rejected
the proposals: “it has rejected Pan ki Moon and other high
ranked officials, Elmar Mammadyarov even considered the proposals
ridiculous”. Speaking about the statement of Defense Minister of
Nagorno Karabakh Movses Hakobyan that the Artsakhi forces during
April-May months carried out purposeful punitive acts across the
state border between Artsakh and Azerbaijan as a result of which the
enemy suffered noticeable losses, Jamalyan said the results of these
activities are obvious, it is much calmer on the first line.

The expert said it would have been better if the Azerbaijanis displayed
wisdom and before giving few tens of victims withdraw the snipers.

Pointing out that during April-March the Azerbaijanis started
sniper war on the first line, the expert draw the attention on the
circumstance that during the ten days mentioned by the Artsakhi defense
minister the Azerbaijani news was reporting about tragic incidents
like hitting of lightening, careless usage of weapon. “This information
indirectly proves what Movses Hakobyan said”, Jamalyan said.

L’AMBASSADEUR DE RUSSIE AU LIBAN RENCONTRE SA SAINTETE ARAM 1ER
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 18 juillet 2011

ercredi 22 juin 2011, Sa Saintete Aram 1er a recu l’Ambassadeur russe
dans son bureau a Antelias.

Le but de la visite etait de presenter au Catholicos Aram 1er la
position officielle de la Russie sur les evenements dans la region
et specifiquement en Syrie. L’ambassadeur a dit que la situation
en Syrie exigeait une approche equilibree et realiste, sans laisser
echapper l’importance de reformes internes.

Sa Saintete Aram 1er s’est felicite de la declaration de l’ambassadeur
et a dit que des reformes internes etaient indispensables. À cet
egard le Catholicos a apprecie le recent discours du President Bachar
Al Assad quant aux reformes. Le Catholicos Aram 1er a alors partage
son inquietude que ces evenements pourraient avoir sur les relations
entre Chretiens et Musulmans et a souligne l’importance du dialogue
et de la cooperation pour la stabilite dans la region.

A la fin de la reunion, Sa Saintete Aram 1er a rappele a l’Ambassadeur
la cooperation durable entre les deux peuples et a remercie le
gouvernement russe pour son appui sur la cause du Nagorno Karabagh. Il
a alors concluen se referent a l’amitie entre les deux eglises et
son amitie personnelle avec le Patriarche Kiril.

LE RESPONSABLE EN CHEF DES ELECTIONS ESPIRE RESTER
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 18 juillet 2011

Un haut fonctionnaire qui a administre les dernières elections
nationales en Armenie a reconnu qu’il voudrait rester a la tete de la
nouvelle Commission Electorale Centrale (CEC) qui sera nomme bientôt
par le President Serge Sarkissian.

Garegin Azarian a exprime un tel espoir après avoir preside la dernière
reunion de la CEC sortante. Le corps constitue de 8 membres a conduit
l’election presidentielle de fevrier 2088 qui a ete gâtee selon les
allegations de l’opposition par des bourrages d’urnes et suivie par
des troubles mortels a Erevan.

Le CEC sera dissous conformement a un paquet d’amendements au Code
Electoral qui a ete ordonne par les autorites en mai.

Le plus important de ces amendements touche a la formation des
commissions des divers niveaux allant des elections municipales aux
elections nationales. Jusqu’a present, le president de la republique,
une haute cour et les forces politiques representees dans le Parlement
armenien nommaient les membres de ces commissions.

En vertu du nouveau code amende les membres de la CEC et d’une douzaine
de commissions des circonscriptions electorales nationales seront
proposees par l’ombudsman en charge des droits de l’homme d’Armenie,
la Cour de Cassation et l’association du barreau. Le president Serge
Sarkissian pourra seulement nommer les membres de la CEC nommes
par eux.

Garegin Azarian est l’unique membre de la CEC qui probablement
rejoindra la nouvelle autorite electorale. Il est l’un des deux
candidats presentes par le president de la Cour de Cassation au
President de la Republique.

Les fonctionnaires armeniens disent que le nouveau mecanisme pour la
formation des corps electoraux les rendra plus independants et moins
partisans. Les politiciens de l’opposition ecartent ces assurances,
disant que Serge Sarkissian et ses allies politiques continueront a
contrôler tous les aspects du processus electoral.

Georgian Orthodox Church Softens Stance
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 11 Jul.’11 / 21:49

The Georgian Church-led protest demonstration in Tbilisi on July 9.
Photo: Guram Muradov/Civil.ge

The Georgian Orthodox Church has toned down rhetoric over legislative
amendment on religious minorities’ legal status and after two days of
protest marches called on believers to show calm.

A written statement by the Holy Synod, the Georgian Church’s main
decision-making body, released after its meeting on July 11,
reiterates the Patriarchate’s dissatisfaction that the legislative
amendment was passed hastily without proper consultations with the
Georgian Orthodox Church.

The decision, however, does not contain any calls for revoking the
legislative amendment or wording like `dangerous’ and `contravening
the interests of Church and state’, used by the Georgian Orthodox
Church previously in reference to those legislative amendments.

`Despite of reasons for anxiety, the Holy Synod calls on the clergy
and parish to keep calm and to refrain from any actions on their own
initiative, as well as to intensify praying for the unity of the
nation and for peace,’ the decision reads.

While again expressing dissatisfaction that the decision was taken
without thorough consultations with the Church, the Holy Synod called
on the authorities: `In the future, when religion-related draft laws
or similar issues [emerge], hold consultations with the Georgian
Patriarchate beforehand in order to avoid any possible complications
taking in the view that the issue is delicate.’

After the meeting of Holy Synod, senior clerics from the Georgian
Church were saying that decisions had been taken based on `mutual
compromise’ without going further into details. It has also emerged
that a ruling party lawmaker, Lasha Tordia, met with the Patriarchate
officials before the Synod released its decision.

`The mutual compromise means, that decision was taken through
agreement. Such a decision will be taken, which will contribute
positively to both the Church and the state,’ Metropolitan Iobi of
Urbnisi and Ruisi told journalists after the Synod meeting.

Archbishop Seraphim of Borjomi and Bakuriani said after the Synod
meeting that MP Tordia, chairman of the parliamentary committee for
human rights assured Synod members that the legislative amendment on
legal status of religious minorities was not affecting negatively on
special status of the Georgian Orthodox Church envisaged by the
Georgian Constitution and a concordat signed with the state in 2002.

Archbishop Seraphim said that main source of concern had been a
question whether the recent legislative amendment was giving the same
rights, which the Georgian Church enjoys, to other religious groups.

`MP Lasha Tordia told the Synod, that the authorities were taking
responsibility, that with this law the government was not granting the
rights, similar to those of the Georgian Orthodox Church, to other
religious groups,’ Archbishop Seraphim said.

The written decision of the Holy Synod says that `every religious
group in Georgia is equal before the law… and the Georgian Orthodox
Church’s special legal status, defined by the constitution and the
constitutional agreement with the state [concordat], does not limit
freedom of faith of other religious groups.’

The Patriarchate has also called on the authorities to set up a
commission `to monitor implementation’ of provisions of concordat.

HEAD OF CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ARMENIA: VOTERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SHOULDN’T SELL THEIR BALLOT PAPERS FOR 5,000 AMD

arminfo
Friday, July 15, 15:49

The results of any elections depend on the society’s attitude towards
them, and the voters should understand that they shouldn’t sell
their ballot papers for 5,000 AMD, Chairman of the Central Electoral
Commission (CEC) Garegin Azaryan, who was re-elected CEC chairman
yesterday, said at today’s press conference.

According to Azaryan, the new CEC will exert all efforts to make the
forthcoming elections in 2012 and 2013 pass in compliance with all
standards of legislation. At the same time, he thinks that there are
all premises for that, particularly, the reformed electoral code,
which is depoliticized to a great extent.

He also considers that CEC cannot ensure transparent and fair elections
all by itself: public control and each person’s responsibility are
needed for that purpose.

“One should differentiate the notions “rigged elections” and “fraud
at the elections”, i.e. there may be certain violations, but our task
is to do our best to prevent these violations from influencing the
whole scene of the elections”, he said.

To note, the office term of the previous CEC was expired on July 14.

On July 13 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on
appointment of the new CEC members. To recall, on May 26 the Armenian
Parliament adopted amendments to the Electoral Code, according to
which seven members of CEC are appointed by the Armenian president
for 5 years. The head of the state chooses them out of 15 nominees.

CONSUMER ADVOCATE: YEREVAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM BENEFITS A FEW
Mаry Mamyan

hetq
16:04, July 15, 2011

Armen Poghosyan, President of the Armenian Consumers’ Association,
stated today that ridership in the Yerevan Metro had fallen by 10-20%
after the recent price hike from 50 to 100 AMD.

Mr. Poghosyan confessed that these numbers were based on polls taken
by the association and thus not totally accurate.

He also argued that the number of Yerevan residents using the much
maligned “micro-vans” to get around town had also shrunk from 90%
to 75%.

The consumer advocate declared that the current transportation system
in the Armenian capital benefits 18-28 individuals who own the routes
and that the rest of us are forced to suffer as a result.

“These individuals are either MP’s or other government officials,”
he said.

Mr. Poghosyan made the case for greater financing of an electric-based
transportation system that would wean us off of various fuels.

Vazgen Safaryan, the other press conference speaker, who heads the
Public Goods Producers’ Union and is President of the Public Council’s
Finance and Budgetary Committee, called on the government to establish
collective agricultural operations in the country’s rural regions.

He said that villagers didn’t have the means to sell their produce
directly to consumers and were forced to sell to resellers.

Mr. Safaryan said that of the 449,000 hectares of cultivable land,
some 165,000 wasn’t cultivated last year.

“Agriculture lacks a sufficient labor force. The government must
take steps to spur this sector. We do not understand, for example,
why villagers must pay for the water they use,” he said.

STUDENTS TO DO THEIR INTERNSHIP IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

armradio.am
16.07.2011 13:03

An agreement on cooperation was signed between the Armenian ministry
of Defense, the State Linguistic University after Valery Bryusov, the
American University of Armenia and the European Regional Educational
Academy of Armenia.

Under the agreement the students of the above-mentioned universities
will have an opportunity to do their internship in the Ministry
of Defense.

The Rectors of the Universities expressed gratitude to the Minister of
Defense for the expansion of cooperation, noting that this initiative
could help students to supplement their academic knowledge with
practical skills and contribute to the activity of the Ministry
of Defense.

” JE NE SUIS PAS UN HEROS POUR VIVRE EN ARMENIE ” DIT SERGE AVEDIKIAN A EREVAN
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 16 juillet 2011

Invite a Erevan a l’occasion du Festival du cinema ” Voske Dziran ”
(Abricot d’Or) l’acteur et realisateur Francais Serge Avedikian ne
en Armenie a accorde une interview au journal ” Haygagan Jamanag “,
reprise partiellement par le site Tert.am. A la question de savoir s’il
envisageait de retourner vivre en Armenie, Serge Avedikian repond ”
Je ne suis pas un heros. Je ne peux pas revenir et vivre ici chaque
jour, je suis deja complètement integre a la societe francaise. Je
n’ai pas le droit de dire a quelqu’un ” pourquoi vous partez, pourquoi
vous quittez l’Armenie ? “, moi-meme je n’ai pas vecu en Armenie “. Le
journal armenien precise que S. Avedikian vit depuis 40 ans a Paris.

Ses parents avaient en 1947 rejoint l’Armenie. S. Avedikian dit ”
Ils ne savaient pas où ils allaient. Ils s’y rendaient par patriotisme.

Mais durant la periode sovietique vous savez très bien comment ils
furent recus et ce qu’arriva a ces ” akhbars “(*). Je ne veux pas dire
que l’histoire se repète a chaque fois, mais on a l’impression qu’elle
se repète avec quelques variantes nouvelles dont on n’a pas pris la
mesure “. S. Avedikian a egalement evoque l’emigration armenienne
et appele les autorites politiques a prendre des mesures appropriees
pour enrayer le phenomène. ” Nous pouvons aujourd’hui manquer de heros
car nous ne sommes pas a une epoque faste pour les heros. La question
de laisser la patrie et emigrer doit etre absolument reglee par les
pouvoirs politiques et publics d’Armenie. Personne d’autre ne peut
le faire a leur place. Cela signifie creer des postes de travail,
developper l’economie. Cela signifie aussi avoir des projets ” dit
Serge Avedikian.

(*)Les Armeniens d’Armenie appelaient ” Akhbars ” les Armeniens de
la diaspora qui s’installèrent en Armenie après la Seconde Guerre
mondiale. Le terme a une consonance pejorative ou discriminatoire.

AZERBAIJANI FM: ARMENIA IS ENGAGED IN DEMAGOGY, MOVING AWAY FROM CONCRETE ANSWER

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
July 14, 2011 Thursday 10:15 PM GMT +4

Armenian foreign minister, once again distorting the facts and phrases,
is trying to talk sporadically about these or other postulates of
international law, while completely forgets that the reference to the
UN Charter is suitable only for the colonies, while Nagorno-Karabakh
has never had the status of colony, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told Trend.

“Unfortunately, we must note that in response to a clear and
precise position of Azerbaijan, both in terms of the settlement of
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the efforts of
the OSCE Minsk Group to find a formula for resolving this conflict,
Armenia is engaged in empty demagogy, going away from concrete answers
to concrete questions,” said Polukhov, commenting on recent statements
by Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian.

According to Polukhov, if the Armenian foreign minister states that his
country accepts the proposal of the co-chairs, it supposes accepting
exactly expressed proposals of updated Madrid principles.

A simple logic says that the next step should be to work on legally
binding peace agreement, which will lead to achieving peace, Polukhov
said. However, we do not see the readiness of Yerevan to do it.

“As for the absurdity of the idea “internationally recognized interim
status of Nagorno-Karabakh”, the international community accepts and
recognizes only finalized and adopted status, but is not juggling
with words like the Armenian foreign minister,” he said.

Also, the interim status, which Nagorno-Karabakh receives, can not
be approved without the consent of Azerbaijan, which means that
Nagorno-Karabakh was, is and will be part of Azerbaijan, said Polukhov.

“I advise Nalbandian to look for other refers to soothe his own
audience, because deceiving his people, he and all the Armenian
authorities are playing against their country’s future,” said Polukhov.

He also advised the foreign minister of Armenia to make a handbook
the Helsinki Final Act, which clearly tells about the inadmissibility
of applying the right to self-determination to the detriment of the
territorial integrity of sovereign states, and read it before each
of his statements.

On Thursday, Nalbandian stated that the call of the Azerbaijani side
to immediately sign a peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh without
the coordination of the basic principles means failure of the entire
negotiation process.

Most recently, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
called on Armenia to approve without delay the document, which spelled
out a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh question.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.