Author: Kalantarian Kevo

CZECH AMBASSADOR PRESENTS HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENTS SARGSYAN

armradio.am
19.06.2008 13:02

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Czech Republic Ivan Estrab (seat
in Tbilisi) presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan.

Congratulating the Ambassador on appointment, the Armenian President
said: "We attach great importance to the development of bilateral
relations with Czechia and collaboration within European organizations
and added, "Armenia considers itself part of the European family and
European integration is one of our foreign policy priorities."

Underlining the high level of political relations between the two
countries, the President noted, at the same time, that the economic
ties still yield to political ones, and the volume of commodity
turnover is still small. The parties attached importance to the
activation of contacts, exchange of information, which is important
for finding common edges of cooperation.

Ambassador Estrab noted that his country is interested in the
South Caucasus region, especially Armenia. According to him, the
Czech side attaches great importance to the forthcoming official
visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel
Schwarzenberg to Armenia from the perspective of further development
of cooperation. The diplomat informed that from January 2009 the Czech
Republic will assume the presidency of the European Union and has the
wish to further expand the cooperation with the countries included
in the European Neighborhood Policy. Noting that Poland and Sweden
have already come forth with an initiative to develop relations with
eastern neighbors, the Ambassador said it can serve as a good basis
for active collaboration.

Ivan Estrab informed also that the President of the Senate of Czechia
is expected to arrive in Armenia for an official visit.

PUPILS’ SPORTING EFFORTS WILL HELP SCHOOL IN ARMENIA
By Leanna MacLarty

Press and Journal
spx/695570?UserKey=0
June 18 2008
UK

Money raised will buy toys, books and paints for children in former
soviet republic

RAISING FUNDS: Angie Mutch will be taking supplies to Armenia after
cash was raised by pupils at Dunnottar Primary School. Kami Thomson
More Pictures

CHILDREN at a Mearns primary school took part in two days of sporting
events to raise money for equipment and toys for a school in Armenia.

More than 250 children at Stonehaven’s Dunnottar Primary have been
playing basketball, practising their dribbling and clearing hurdles
to raise funds for basic equipment.

The money will be used to buy books, toys and paints for the school.

The former Soviet republic has been trying to rebuild itself since
an earthquake in 1988 which left 45,000 dead.

The goods are being taken by Stonehaven nurse Angie Mutch, 41, who is
leading a team of medically-trained people on a two-week expedition
in October.

Ms Mutch, who has a nine-year-old son at the school, has been raising
funds for her trip to buy as much equipment as possible.

Last month she completed a sponsored swim, despite having broken her
back following a fall eight years earlier.

The money from Dunnottar School will provide 18 months’ worth of
equipment for the school, she said.

The two-day event was run as an enterprise project, organised by the
children in primary six.

They were tasked with coming up with ideas for activities, sending
out letters, organising sponsorship forms and arranging a bus to pick
up nursery children from Carronhill School.

Primary six teacher Emma Fraser said: "The pupils have done a brilliant
job, everything has run very smoothly. Other pupils have said they
would like to do it when they are in primary six."

CONSTRUCTION OF AN EXHIBITION CENTER IN ARMENIA TO TAKE AT LEAST $10 TO 12 MILLION

ARKA
June 16, 2008

YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Construction of an exhibition center in
Armenia is to take at least $10 to 12 million, LOGOS EXPO Centre
Executive Director Ara Stepanyan said at Novosti International Press
Centre on Monday.

He said the company can’t afford the construction, since it works on
the local market at minimal prices, which three or four times lower
than prices in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Stepantan said that in 2006,
the problem was presented even to the president.

He said that the soviet-era 35-hectare exhibition center has had 12
exhibition halls.

"These areas would be used as an exhibition center after developing
relevant infrastructures, however, it has been sold, and Armenia is
now left with no exhibition centers", Stepanyan said.

He said that state support is needed for the construction, since
private investors won’t inject money in such an initiative because
of tardy repayment.

Martin Sargsyan said that preliminary design of the exhibition center
is ready and the site is already chosen in Shengavit district.

The project was planned to be launched yet in 2006 and even an
agreement was signed with Russian exhibition center. However, the
center has not been constructed.

Day.Az, Azerbaijan
June 3 2008

Azeri minister urges Armenia to withdraw troops from occupied lands

3 June: Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev today met the US
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza, the press service
of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has told Day.az.

The meeting focused on the military and political situation in the
region and the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Minister Abiyev said that the situation might get out of control if
Armenia did not unconditionally withdraw its troops from the occupied
territories soon.

Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com

PRESS RELEASE
June 13, 2008
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian

Armenian Genocide Teaching Gets Final Approval

Toronto-The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), at a special meeting
on June 12, unanimously approved the teaching of optional Genocide and
Human Rights Curriculum to Grade 11 students. The curriculum includes
the Armenian Genocide module, in addition to the Holocaust and the
Rwandan Genocide.

The decision was the final step in the ratification of the curriculum
which TDSB has been developing for the past three years. The vote
followed the unanimous recommendation (June 2) of the Program and
School Services Committee to adopt the curriculum.

Some 50 members of the Turkish community, carrying Turkish and Azeri
flags, protested the inclusion of the Armenian module in the TDSB
curriculum.

In the past six months the Council of Turkish Canadians and the
Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations have mounted a
well-orchestrated and relentless campaign of misinformation, innuendo,
intimidation and dishonest tactics to pressure the TDSB to drop the
Armenian Genocide as one of the three case studies in the curriculum.

The TDSB offered two hearings to Turkish representatives to air their
concerns and register their objections. Furthermore, the TDSB created
a special review committee of experts to review the curriculum and
address the concerns of the Turkish and Ukrainian communities. The
latter objected to the absence of the Ukrainian Famine (Holodomor) in
the curriculum.

After careful examination of historical documentation, experts’
research, oral deputations of the stakeholders and their written
arguments for and against the curriculum, the review committee, the
TDSB staff and trustees reaffirmed that the Armenian massacres of 1915
were genocide and should be taught as such.

The Board said the Ukrainian Famine should be addressed by different
means during the scholastic year, but not as a unit on its
own. Trustee Mari Rutka recommended that a curriculum guide on the
Holodomor should be developed for use in all high schools in 2009 and
that there should be an annual recognition of the event.

The Genocide and Human Rights curriculum will be taught in Toronto
high schools starting this September. Already, 12 schools have listed
the curriculum as part of their next school year’s programs.

The media–print and electronic–provided extensive coverage to
yesterday’s meeting and to the approval of the curriculum.

Dr. Girair Basmadjian, president of Armenian National Committee of
Canada (ANCC), credited the vigilance and the leadership of ANCC and
its -cooperation and co-ordination with the Zoryan Institute, and many
other Armenian community organizations and churches,- for upholding
the truth and for rendering justice to victims of the Armenian
Genocide.

Aris Babikian, executive director, ANCC, said he was delighted to see
-Turkish government’s and Turkish ultra-nationalists’ heavy-handed
modus operandi did not succeed in undermining the credibility of our
educational institutions. Once again, as in many other jurisdictions,
the denialists’ bankrupt arguments and revisionist history failed to
persuade the TDSB. The Board should be proud of its achievement and
its pioneering work.-

********

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of
issues.
——
Le CNAC est l’organisation politique canadienne-arménienne la plus
large et influentielle. Collaborant avec une série de bureaux,
chapitres et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des organisations
affiliées à travers le monde, le CNAC s’occupe activement des
inquiétudes de la communauté canadienne-arménienne.

Regional Chapters/Sections régionales
Montréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge –
St. Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver

A1+

COURT MADE A POLITICAL DECISION
[03:07 pm] 13 June, 2008

On June 13 the Court of General Jurisdiction of
Shirak Marz found Ashot Zakarian, Petros Makeyan and
Shota Saghatelian guilty under Article 2 of the RoA
Criminal Court / -Interference in the fulfillment of
the right to vote, in the activities of election
commissions or in the duties of the persons
participating in the election/.

The court sentenced Makeyan to 3 years’ and the other
two to 2.6 years’ imprisonment.

The court decided to put Shota Saghatelian on
probation for two years, and set him free from the
courtroom in accordance with Article 70 of the
Criminal Code

STATE EMPLOYMENT CENTER TO HOLD JOB FAIR

ARMENPRESS
June 13, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS: On June 14 the State Employment Center
of the Armenian Labor and Social Affairs Ministry in partnership with
World Bank’s Social Security Administration program and German GVG
organization will organize a job fair in Yerevan’s Dynamo sport hall.

The press division of the State Employment Center told Armenpress
that about 60 employers will take part in the fair. The goal of the
fair is to help employers and job seekers meet, as well as raise
employment level.

The employers will have an opportunity to showcase their companies
and find qualified people to fill in their vacancies. Earlier two
similar job fairs were held in the town of Abovian on May 24 and in
Goris on May 31.

The Union of Armenian Employers, Armenian Commerce and Industry
Chamber, American Armenian Commerce Chamber, DVV International
organization, National Tempus, Yerevan State University, American
University of Armenia and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University will
take part in the fair.

The State Employment Center held its first job fair, in cooperation
with USAID, in 2007 October 13, which, according to the State
Employment Center, helped 100 people find jobs.

ALEXANDER STUBB: THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE
KARABAKH CONFLICT

armradio.am
10.06.2008 12:56

Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb met the three
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in Helsinki on Monday to discuss
developments related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador
Bernard Fassier of France and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Matthew Bryza of the United States, along with Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, briefed Minister Stubb on recent
developments, in particular on the meeting between the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan on 7 June in St. Petersburg.

Minister Stubb expressed his full support for the work of the
Minsk Group Co-Chairs. "Conflict resolution in the OSCE area is
a key priority of the Finnish Chairmanship. I encourage Armenia
and Azerbaijan to make full use of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’
facilitation and to consider seriously the proposal for the basic
principles for resolving the conflict. There is no alternative to a
peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said.

ARMENIAN STATE COMMISSION ON HOSTAGES: "AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO PUT AN END TO POSSIBLE ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI COOPERATION"

Today.Az
ws/politics/45467.html
June 5 2008
Azerbaijan

"Statement of spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry Eldar
Sabiroghlu about intention of the Azerbaijani side to bring four
hostage citizens of Armenia to responsibility causes bewilderment",
said Armen Kaprielyan, head of the work group of the Armenian state
commission on war prisoners, hostages and missing people.

"As is has been previously stated, all four Armenians, currently
captured by Azerbaijani, are civilians, who bear no relation to army
and were captured in the Azerbaijani area by pure accident.

The hidden purpose is clear – it is to present the four Armenians to
the world society as wreckers. I state that they have nothing to do
with army and even so more with diversion. I have repeatedly stated
that various Azerbaijani officials often come to an absurd point in
their statements.

But such falsification of facts has not precedent and is aimed at
putting an end to possible ways of Armenian-Azerbaijani cooperation",
said Kaprielyan.

According to him, the announcement of the spokesman for Azerbaijan’s
Defense Minister causes bewilderment.

"The obvious is the fact of political order of the said statement
and we feel deep regret about the failure of the due authorities of
Azerbaijan to settle humanitarian tasks preferring political gambles. I
would like to state on behalf of the Armenian state commission that
the four citizens have nothing to do with the army activity and are
civilians, residing in Gegarkunik region. They were captured in the
Azerbaijani side by pure accident", said Kaprielyan.

UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER OFFERS AZERBAIJAN TO JOIN MILITARY DESIGN PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.06.2008 14:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov offered
Azerbaijan to join the process of designing weapons and defense
technology.

"Azerbaijan is interested in armament and defense technology produced
in Ukraine. We will make a military-technical breakthrough," he said,
without going into details.

"Although Azerbaijan’s army is less in number than Ukraine’s,
the defense budget in both countries is equal. Moreover, Azeri
servicemen do not have housing problems," the Ukrainian Minister said,
analitika.at.ua reports.