Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SARKISIAN AGAIN THREATENS TO SCRAP TURKISH-ARMENIAN ACCORDS
by Emil Danielyan

Armenialiberty.org

Aug 30 2011

President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday again threatened to formally annul
Armenia’s normalization agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues
to link their parliamentary ratification with the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

He indicated that Yerevan will wait for no more than several months
for an unconditional normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations,
which is envisaged by the two protocols signed in 2009.

“The Turkish side has to understand that these protocols are not an
open-ended opportunity,” Sarkisian told an annual meeting in Yerevan
of Armenian ambassadors and other senior diplomats.

“Many of our [foreign] friends advised us to wait until the [June]
parliamentary elections in Turkey,” he said. “So in the next several
months we will see whether there has been a change of approaches
in Turkey after those elections. But frankly speaking, the past two
months have not given us grounds for optimism.”

“On the basis of those observations, we will also decide our further
steps regarding the protocols,” he warned.

Sarkisian already threatened to withdraw Yerevan’s signature from
the protocols in January. He said that the Turks “destroyed” the
Western-backed rapprochement between the two historical foes with
their Karabakh linkage.

Foreign Ministers Eduard Nalbandian of Armenia (L) and Ahmet Davutoglu
of Turkey sign landmark agreements to normalize Turkish-Armenian
relations in Zurich.

Shortly after the signing of the protocols in Zurich attended by
top diplomats from the United States, Europe and Russia, Ankara
made clear that the Turkish parliament will not ratify them without
decisive progress in the Karabakh peace process. Azerbaijan welcomed
this condition.

Sarkisian responded by freezing the process of protocol ratification
by Armenia’s parliament in April 2010. In a televised address to the
nation, he said he decided not to scrap the agreements altogether at
the request of the United States and other foreign powers.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised this stance as
“very statesmanlike” when she visited Yerevan in July 2010. Clinton
reportedly pressed the Turkish government to unconditionally comply
with the protocols during a visit to Istanbul last month.

However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish leaders
have continued to state that Turkey will not establish diplomatic
relations and open its border with Armenia until a Karabakh settlement
acceptable to Azerbaijan.

Tensions between the two neighboring states rose further later in July
after Ankara accused Sarkisian of voicing Armenian territorial claims
to Turkey. Erdogan publicly demanded that the Armenian leader apologize
for the “provocation.” Officials in Yerevan rejected the accusations.

Sarkisian insisted on Tuesday that despite the lack of tangible
results, he does not regret embarking on a policy of rapprochement
with Turkey shortly after taking office in April 2008. “I think that
those present in this audience understand that that initiative has
boosted Armenia’s international standing and dispelled our partners’
illusions about a new and contemporary Turkey,” he said.

Sarkisian has been accused by critics in Armenia and its worldwide
Diaspora of making too many concessions to the Turks in the
normalization process and gaining little in return. One of them,
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party, quit his coalition
government in protest in 2009.

FIND AND PUNISH – FACEBOOK GROUP DEMANDS PUNISHMENT FOR MURDERERS OF ARMENIAN SOLDIER IN EGHNIKNER MILITARY UNIT

news.am
Aug 30 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Recently created Facebook group called Find and Punish
demands to reveal and punish those guilty in murder of 18-year-old
soldier Aghasi Abrahamyan in Eghnikner military unit. 760 people
subscribed to the group on the first day of its creation.

Earlier Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that the relatives of the
soldier, who died on August 26, claim he was beaten to death. They
claim for instigating a criminal case as the pre-investigatory body
has instigated case only for deliberately causing harm to the health,
which brought to death carelessly.

According to official information, 18-year-old Aghasi Abrahamyan
died in one of the units of Karabakh at 09.30 p.m. on August 26 in
the hospital without coming into consciousness. His mother claims he
had many wounds on his body, which speaks of being severely beaten.

Relatives say that they received different information claiming
Abrahamyan was poisoned or even had epilepsy. No one is arrested in
relation to the case.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: ARMENIA WILL FORCE PEACE TO RIVAL IF NEEDED

Panorama
Aug 30 2011
Armenia

Azerbaijani isn’t ready to peace, President Serzh Sargsyan said today
in a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions. President said
he’s concluded it because of the behavior Baku has adopted.

“Baku isn’t ready to peace since it’s impossible to establish peace
campaigning war, to reconcile the societies holding anti-Armenian
campaigns, to build confidence provoking arm race,” President said
ensuring: “Azerbaijan’s such behavior is unacceptable and we’ll
demonstrate adequate steps to them. Be sure, Armenia will force peace
to the rival if a new adventure materializes.”

ALMA TO HOST YOUSUF KARSH EXHIBITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 30, 2011 – 12:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) on
September 16 and 17 will host Karsh: Celebrating Humanity exhibition, a
gala event featuring permanent collection of portraits by the renowned
Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, whose insightful lens
has captured those men and women who have influenced the 20th century,
ALMA told PanARMENIAN.Net

Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) is one of the masters of 20th century
photography. His body of work includes portraits of statesmen,
artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of
accomplishment. His extraordinary and unique portfolio presents the
viewer with an intimate and compassionate view of humanity.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WARNS AGAINST MILITARY GAMBLES

Tert.am
17:22 30.08.11

In case the enemy resorts to a new military provocation, Armenia will
without fail force it into peace, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
stated at Aug. 30 conference of Armenia’s foreign office staff and
heads of Armenia’s diplomatic missions. The conference was held at
the Karen Demirchyan sports & concert complex in Yerevan.

“This year we have seen how Southern Sudan, after decades of struggle,
gained independence, thus becoming one more instance in international
practice. In the case of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] a similar end is
inevitable as well despite the fact that, for the present, I cannot
speak of Azerbaijan taking a softer line on the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process.

“I am sure that we are well-informed of this process and have
to deal with relevant issues in your daily work. When we say
that the international community’s approaches to settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are identical to Armenia’s official
approaches, which we have repeatedly stated for years, it is not at
all a propaganda device.

“Our clear position and confident behavior, arguments for our concerns
and readiness to assume responsibility have enabled us to get the
international community to accept our approaches as most realistic
and peace-building. Evidence thereof is the recent high-level official
statements. The addressee of the messages is well known as well.

“I am sure that many of us share the opinion that Baku is not ready
for peace because peace is impossible to establish when war is being
advocated. Societies cannot be reconciled when hatred for Armenians
is being stirred up nor can confidence be built when arms race is
being provoked.

“Be sure that Armenia will without fail force the enemy into peace
in case it resorts to a new military provocation,” the Armenian
leader said.

A BIG BLACK SUV V SCIENTIST
Siranuysh Papyan

Lragir.am News

18:56:01 – 30/08/2011

Interview with Daniel Ioannisyan, a fellow of Yerevan Institute of
Physics, member of We Demand Boost of Funds for Science Initiative,
on the problems of modern science

Daniel, in a recent meeting in Tsaghkadzor young scientists brought
up the current problems of science and introduced the demand of
scientists to boost science funding. Serzh Sargsyan attending the
meeting said this demand is an end in itself and did not pledge a
boost because he says our country has adopted three-year planning,
and medium-term programs were approved last year for 2012. Was Serzh
Sargsyan’s answer disappointing, what are your impressions?

Frankly speaking, I wasn’t surprised. It was a surprise that the
president came. I suppose it was a surprise for him too but I wasn’t
surprised by the president’s reaction because if the president had
other opinion on science funding, he would have boosted it. His words
made think that our demand is an end in itself, that we have come to
ask for money, that we are to blame, and if money is allocated for
science, either the army will become less effective, or fewer babies
will be born or churches dating from the 15th century would come down.

It appeared that if funding for science were boosted, we would be to
blame for the destruction of Armenia.

Nevertheless, there is another meeting with Serzh Sargsyan. Will you
go on to set forward the same demand?

In fact, we have already reached agreement with the Heritage Party,
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and the Bargavach Hayastan Party that 3% of
the budget must be allocated for science in 2012, tripling today’s
funding. This year 1% of the budget has been allocated. We supposed
that the Republicans would join this demand but they didn’t. In
addition, these parties include this in the budget of 2012. On the
whole, both scientists and political parties find that science funding
should total 1% of the GDP, which is about 5% of the budget and will
grow up to 3% of the GDP.

Serzh Sargsyan also noted that so far a lot of money has been allocated
and it is necessary to see into it to find out if the money was spent
efficiently, how many scientific institutions operated efficiently.

Certainly, there is a fair observation here. Part of this money is
spent uselessly, there are idle scientific institutions. I don’t mean
the scientists are bad, the scientific institutions are idle (applied
sciences are meant). The problem is they don’t get orders and funding.

There are agricultural scientific establishments which are idle because
the ministry of agriculture does not implement projects. I am sure
the staff of these establishments is in place, and if orders come,
they will work.

Of 4500 scientists, in your opinion, how many are effective? Serzh
Sargsyan fears that everyone will become a scientist.

In fact, 4500 are considered active scientists. All in all, there are
6500-7000 scientists, of which 4500 are in science. In reality, this
is a small number, compared with the late 80s. It is twice as low as
the world’s average index, and much lower compared with the average
index of European countries. In other words, in Armenia the number
of scientists, 4500, is not too many, it is too few, and everything
must be done to boost their number.

What are the ways of diversifying funding of science? How could
corruption risk be reduced in case funding is boosted?

In the world, several funding procedures are practiced which almost
rule out corruption risk. For instance, honoraria for articles
in authoritative journals, which are paid from budget, they are
absolutely out of corruption because no official could arrange an
article or falsify something because international authoritative
journals are concerned.

We say the attitude to scientists must change. The “scientist is poor”
approach must change. Why is there such an attitude?

30-40 years ago, children at school dreamed of being astronauts,
pilots, scientists, it was fashionable, and it was good. Now people
dream of being policeman to make money on bribes. This is a matter of
values. Being a scientist is already out of fashion. People don’t want
to be scientists because they don’t make money. Suppose that I want
to be a scientist and make inventions but how am I going to support
my family? This is very objective and fair. But on the other hand,
the society does not display sufficient respect for scientists. Areg
Mikaelyan brought up this issue with the president, and I think
Serzh Sargsyan should have stated yes, you are right, the image of a
scientist should be improved, but I understood from his remarks that
it makes no difference to him whether we are scientists or drivers,
his attitude will not change, which insulted me, frankly speaking. In
fact, the society does not respect scientists, being a scientist is
not respectable, it is less respectable than riding a big black SUV
and being an oligarch.

The scientists were advised to invent a magic stick to take people
to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine to see what’s happing there.

I went to Georgia 10-12 times last year. Every time I cross the
border for Georgia, I feel relaxed, and when I cross the border in the
opposite direction, I feel like returning to jail. A simple example.

In Georgia, I am riding on the highway and I see a police car from
afar. I feel relaxed because I know should I have a problem, the
policeman will be my first friend, whereas in Armenia, whenever I
see a police car, I hope he will not stop me because I don’t expect
anything good from him. In fact, Georgia is closer to being a civilized
country than us.

TO MARK THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA, THE STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA WILL GIVE AN EXCLUSIVE CONCERT IN THE HAGUE

Noyan Tapan
30.08.2011 | 09:51
Culture

(Noyan Tapan – 30.08.2011) To mark the 20th anniversary of the
independence of the Republic of Armenia, the State Youth Orchestra
of Armenia with 62 musicians, directed by talented conductor Sergey
Smbatyan, will give an exclusive concert on 1 October 2011 in Dr
Anton Philips Hall in The Hague.

You can enjoy a varied repertoire of classical works of Giuseppe
Verdi, Sergei Rachmaninov, Georges Bizet as well as music by
Armenian composers Eduard Mirzoyan, Tigran Tchoukhadjian and Eduard
Hayrapetyan. Also soloist bariton Gevorg Hakobyan will perform at
this concert.

Programme:

Eduard Mirsoyan – Symphony for string orchestra with timpani (1961)

Giuseppe Verdi – Iago’s monologue from the opera “Othello” (1887)

Sergei Rachmaninoff – Aleko’s aria from the opera “Aleko” (1892)

Tigran Tschoukhadjian – King Arshak’s Aria from the opera “Arshak II”
(1868)

Intermission

Edward Hayrapetyan – “Sibelius Dream” for string orchestra (2011),
dedicated to Sergey Smbatyan and the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia

Georges Bizet / Rodion Shchedrin – Carmen Suite for string orchestra
and percussion (1970)

This concert is organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
to the Netherlands in cooperation with the Armenian organisations in
the Netherlands.

WIKILEAKS: THE WHOLE SELECTION OF CORRUPTION DISPLAY IS IN ARMENIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

arminfo
Tuesday, August 30, 17:37

The US Embassy to Armenia touched on the corruption problem in the
Armenian higher education institutions in one of its dispatches to
the US Department of State, declassified by Wikileaks.

The extremely high level of corruption has seriously hit the high
authority of the universities and reduced the training quality. The
whole selection of the corruption display is available in the
Armenian higher education institutions: bribes, protection, etc. The
reason of it is first of all low salary of teachers and traditional
protectionism, due to which non-professional specialists graduated
from universities, the document says.

The military conscription is one of the factors of corruption. Many
of the boys enter the university and continue studying there only
for avoiding service in the armed forces of country, the dispatch of
American diplomats says.

Many people speak about corruption but do not fight it. All the levels
of the education system are corrupted, including the entrance exams,
marks. As for the end-of-semester exams in Yerevan State University,
they cost from 20 up to 100 US dollars, the dispatch says.

DEPUTY ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS DIRECTOR OF U.S. MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES CORPORATION PROGRAM

/ ARKA /
August 30, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 30. / ARKA /. Deputy Armenian prime minister
Armen Gevorgian received Monday Alex Rasin, director of the U.S.
government’s Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC) Program,
the ministry of territorial administration told ARKA. It said Ara
Hovsepian, head of the Millennium Challenges Account-Armenia Fund,
was also present.

During the meeting they discussed issues related to the completion
of the irrigation projects implemented by the Millennium Challenges
Account-Armenia.

The sides were said to have agreed that the government will be
consistent in correcting the revealed shortcomings and faults. The
sides have also agreed on the implementation of post-warranty work
by involved construction companies.

On March 27, 2006 the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a
five-year, $235.65 million Compact with the Government of Armenia. The
Compact was focused on one goal: reduction of rural poverty through a
sustainable increase in the economic performance of the agricultural
sector.

Armenia planned to achieve this goal through a five-year program of
strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure and
technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water
and to support farmers and agribusinesses. On September 29, 2006 the
Compact officially entered into force. Later, in June 2009, the MCC
board made a decision to suspend of the MCA-Armenia components –
Rural road rehabilitation Project, with a $67 million budget to
rehabilitate up to 350 kilometers of rural roads.

ARMENIAN COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD FOOD MOSCOW 2011

news.am
Aug 29, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – The Armenian companies will participate in WORLD FOOD
MOSCOW 2011 international exhibition scheduled for September 13-16.

The exhibition contains eleven sections, including fish and sea food,
fruits and vegetables, pastry, milk products, beverages and others.

The event is visited annually by over 50,000 experts from different
countries.

Participation of the Armenian companies is funded by the Fund for
Rural Economic Development in Armenia (FREDA).