Author: Kalashian Nyrie

PASSING TO EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PRESERVING ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOVIET ONE
AZG Armenian Daily
15/06/2006
In the course of the last few years, the quality of education in
Armenia worsened so much that it can be compared to the education
systems of underdeveloped Asian countries, including Turkey, Levon
Mkrtchian, RA education and science minister, said at a press
conference on June 13.
At the same time he didn’t try to find anyone guilty for the crash
of the system, when touching upon Sergo Yeritsian, former education
minister, Mr. Mkrtchian stated that the education system of the country
should put stress on the increase of the education quality for the
pupils and students. In the meantime, he didn’t deny that the human
qualities of teachers had such negative impact on the schoolchildren
that in the course of the latest five years as a result of clashes
between the teachers and the schoolchildren, 60 suicide cases among
the schoolchildren were registered in some of the schools of Armenia.
“The material problems of the teachers should not influence their
work, moreover it doesn’t allow them take revenge from the children
that only learn to live,” Mkrtchian expressed a brilliant idea. In
order the schoolchildren and the students have the opportunity to
get high-quality education, the ministry is to elaborate concrete
mechanisms for teaching. “All the further steps of the ministry are
directed to making cardinal changes in the system,” he said.
It seems that the 12 years school education is a mere stretched
version of the 10 years Soviet school education system, Levon Mkrtchian
said. He said that the reforms for passing to the new school education
system do not keep in line with a number of organizational issues. In
particular, it isn’t clear how the teaching process will be organized
in the senior higher classes, as the students are to chose the subjects
for their future specialization.
Moreover, as a result of stretched education at schools, the education
terms at the universities will also be eliminated. In fact, there
are no problems in the junior classes. In order to study at school
according to the new system, a child should be prepared to make
independent choice of the subjects.
Besides, probation system of evaluation will be applied at schools. All
the issues for the elaboration of manuals for the new school system
will be settled by the beginning of the new academic year.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia will be open for
public and the sphere management will be reformed fundamentally. Such
are the key principles of the new minister, Levon Mkrtchian, presented
at his first press conference. Besides the topical press conferences,
the heads of departments and sub-departments of the ministry will held
press conference once in 10 days, the minister promised. He called
the word “reforms” improper as it indicates to the not-full system
of Soviet education, which Armenia intended to turn repulse. “We are
the result of the Soviet system of education and not our children
who do not get enough knowledge now after the collapse of the Soviet
system. We speak of integrating the Armenian system of education into
the European one and not of eradication of the almost perfect Soviet
system of education,” the minister said.
The minister stressed the importance of assessment of the problems in
the system of general, higher and secondary-specialized education. As
regards the sphere of science, the minister just stated that the
“unclear reform” in the system has almost ruined the Armenian
science. He promised to work on the mechanisms of reanimation of
the country’s scientific potential. He believes that transparent and
logical management of the spheres of education and science must be
secured by the responsible persons. The more so as the problems are
not connected with material difficulties only. The ministry is to start
licensing and accreditation of education establishments in future.
In particular, private universities are to pass rather a long probation
period to justify their claims for the status of an authoritative
establishment.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN CALLS FOR TURKISH REPRESENTATIVE TO NATO NOT TO OVERESTIMATE HIS PLENIPOTENTIARIES
Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. Tirgran Torosian, Speaker of RA National
Assembly, called for Frank Cook, British representative to PA NATO,
to make corrections in the regional report he made.
The press service of RA Parliament informed that in the course of
the meeting with PA NATO delegation, Mr. Torosian emphasized the
importance of making corrections in the report. In particular,
it is stated in the report that “the international entities that
sympathize Armenia” recognized the fact of the Armenian Genocide in
the Ottoman Turkey in early XX century. He stated that it’s necessary
to name these countries and admit the fact that the Armenian Genocide
was recognized by the European Parliament, as well. In response,
Vahid Erdem, representative of Turkey, began denying the genocide,
and stated that merely 400-500 thousand people attacked Turkey by the
instructions of Russia. Mr. Torosian interrupted the lecture of Erdem,
called for him to behave himself and told him not to overestimate his
plenipotentiaries. He reminded Erdem that he has no right to give
evaluations to the Genocide, to the European Parliament and to the
countries that recognized the Armenian Genocide.

BUILDERS OF BAKU-GEIHAN REFUSE TO RECOVER DAMAGE TO ARMENIAN VILLAGE
Lragir.am
14 June 06
AKHALKALAKI, JUNE 13, A-INFO. SPI-Capag-Petrofac carrying out the
construction of of the section of Baku-Geihan running through Georgia
damaged the soil of the village of Ghado, Akhalkalaki using sand
necessary for the construction of the oil pipeline, and refuses to
recover the damage.
The building company says the land they used belongs to the state and
they had a special license of the Ministry of Environmental Protection
to use it.
The inhabitants of the village of Ghado say the sand used in
construction was extracted from the territory they own, and they
have a corresponding certificate on public ownership. Besides, the
inhabitants of Ghado say when the soil of the Georgian villages was
used for the same purpose, the damages were recovered at full.
Presently the inhabitants of Ghado rely on the justice of Georgian
law-enforcement agencies. Their claim was lodged with the Office of
Head Public Prosecutions of Georgia.

THE CREDITOR TOOK THE LAND
A1+
[12:19 pm] 13 June, 2006
Shirak village of Shirak region faces hard times.
According to the region head little changes have been registered in
the village since the 1988 earthquake.
In the village head’s words the inhabitants of the cottage district are
deprived of the right of privatization because of the wrong decision
of the executive committee.
It is inefficient to be engaged in the agriculture work in the
region. On the one hand, the soil is not fertile and on the other it
doesn’t belong to the Shirak residents any longer. Many of them took
credits in order to cultivate their lands but their expectations were
not justified.
Many people in the region having 1200 inhabitants and 310 farms were
unable to pay the credit back. As a result of it the bank took the
lands put in pledge.
The total debt of the village is about 85 million AMD.
According to village head Karen Haroutyunyan there were many programs
which could have facilitated the social state of the peasants provided
they were implemented.
There was an offer to change the water system completely in the recent
period. In order to implement the program the community was to pay
either the 10% of the expenses or render its physical assistance free
of charge.
The two variants were ignored by the villagers.
The irrigation system is also in an awful state. The concrete tubs
haven’t been cleaned for a long time and as a result are full of
slime and rubbish as well as animal waste.
TV Company “Tsayg” of Gyumri.

AGO GROUP SATISFIED WITH OUTCOMES OF ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMS MEETING
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.06.2006 14:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “We are glad that by the totals of the meeting of
the Azeri and Armenian FMs the conditions for continuation of talks
on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement have been preserved,”
said Ronald Wegener, the head of AGO group at CoE Council of Ministers
said in Baku June 14. Wegener said the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict was one of top priorities on the day agenda. Alongside,
the German diplomat said, “The meeting of the Ministers lasted more
than 4 hours and was very tense.
They also touched upon the preparation of the Presidents’ meeting.” Mr
Wegener also remarked that the Karabakh problem was discussed at
yesterday’s meeting of the Ago Group delegation with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev, reported Trend news agency.

NK CONFLICT SHOULD BE RESOLVED UNDER TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN – POLISH MP
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 13 2006
The [Armenian-Azerbaijani] Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved
with in the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
Karol Karskiy, the chairman of the commission on the European Union
affairs of the Polish Saim [parliament], stated in Baku on 12 June in
a meeting with the members of the Azerbaijani-Polish interparliamentary
friendship group, Trend reports.
Kasrkiy noted the dynamic development of Azerbaijani economy, as well
as the upgrade of the interparliamentary relationships.
Members of the Azerbaijani-Polish interparliamentary friendship group,
Sabir Hajiyev and Eldar Guliyev were also in attendance.

SWISS FM LAYS WREATH AT MONUMENT TO ARMENIAN MASSACRE
Agence France Presse — English
June 12, 2006 Monday 7:42 PM GMT
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey laid a wreath on Monday
at the monument dedicated to the 1915 massacre of Armenians, which
her country recognises as genocide.
Calmy-Rey laid the wreath in the former Soviet republic’s capital
during a meeting with her Armenian counterpart, the Yerevan foreign
ministry said in a statement.
The Swiss lower house of parliament in December 2003 recognised the
massacre as genocide, angering Turkey and prompting Ankara to cancel
an official visit by the Swiss foreign minister.
When Calmy-Rey finally visited Turkey in March 2005 she called on
Ankara to undertake an in-depth investigation into the massacre.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
the predecessor of modern Turkey.
Turkey categorically rejects the genocide label and argues that
300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when the Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia
and sided with Russian troops invading Ottoman soil.

RUSSIANS IN MOSCOW KILL ONE ARMENIAN, WOUND ANOTHER
Armenpress
Jun 12 2006
MOSCOW, JUNE 12, ARMENPRESS: Two ethnic Armenians have been shot in
Moscow on Saturday night, Russian news agencies reported. One of the
men died, the other received injuries.
Moscow police have arrested a 52 year-old driver of a meat factory near
Moscow who is suspected on shooting and killing one of the Armenians
and heavily wounding the other. Police said the suspect killed the
Armenian by a rare model of pistol with a silencer.
In late April, a young Armenian man was killed by a group of youngsters
at Moscow’s central metro station. The 17-year-old Vahan Abramyants,
a student of a Moscow university, was standing on the platform with
several friends, when a group of shaved young men dressed in black
attacked them. The attackers looked like skinheads, members of radical
nationalistic movement.
Another 19 year old Armenian, Arthur Sardarian was stabbed to death
by a group of rampaging youths on a train in a Moscow suburb. Arthur
Sardarian, 19, was the sixth ethnic Armenian killed in Russia this
year.

Ottawa Citizen, Canada
June 10, 2006 Saturday
Final Edition
Armenia secures gold
by Deen Hergott, The Ottawa Citizen
With a full 2.5 point lead going into the final round of the Chess
Olympiad in Turin, Italy, the Armenian team secured their gold medal
with four quick draws against Hungary — their final tally was 36
points from a possible maximum of 52. Their squad was impressive,
with 10 match wins and no losses in the 13 rounds played.
The silver and bronze were still in the air, however, and the Chinese
win over the Netherlands (2.5-1.5) gave them the silver with 34. The
bronze medal went to the United States, by virtue of a near shutout
of the Norwegians (3.5-0.5) in the final round. Their final score of
33 was equalled by Israel, but the Americans had the superior
tiebreak. Russia, the pre-tournament favourites, finished a
surprising and disappointing 6th with 31, with a 3-1 loss to Israel
in the final round removing any hopes of a finish in the medals.
Canada finished 34th with 29.5 points, ahead of their pre-event
ranking of 47th. A total of 149 teams competed in the main event. In
the Women’s Olympiad, Canada also finished higher than expected — 21
points (out of a possible 39) gave them 41st place; they started the
event seeded 51st/108.
Current World No. 3, Grandmaster Levon Aronian, of Armenia, led his
team to the gold medal with some excellent games. The following is a
must-see for White’s amazing 11th move:
Aronian — GM Daniel Navara: Queen’s Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Ne4 7.Bd2 f5 8.Qc2
Bf6 9.Ne5!?
Uncovering the long diagonal opens up some amazing possibilities.
9…d5 10.cxd5 Nxc3 11.Nf7!!
This must have come as a shock. Black should play 11…Qc8! 12.Nxh8
Nxd5 here, with some chances, but one can hardly fault Black for
losing his way after such an expected shot.
11…Qd7? 12.Bxc3 Bxd5
Black can never capture on f7 when dxe6 comes with tempo.
13.Bxd5 Qxd5 14.e4!
Now White has a clear advantage.
14…fxe4 15.Nxh8 Nc6 16.0-0 Ke7 17.Rae1 Rxh8 18.Rxe4 Rd8 19.Rfe1 Rd6
20.Rf4 g6 21.h4 Rd7 22.h5! Bxd4 23.hxg6 hxg6 24.Qxg6 Ne5 25.Qf6+
Black Resigns
The Canadian highlight was their penultimate round win over
2nd-ranked India (finishing in 30th in the same point group as
ourselves).
Newly crowned GM Pascal Charbonneau on 1st board miraculously
survived a hair-raising attack to take the full point off World No.
2, GM Viswanathan Anand:
Charbonneau — Anand: Sicilian, Taimanov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6
8.Na3 Be7 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 b6 11.Bf4 Bb7 12.Qd2 Ne5 13.f3 Qc7 14.Rac1
Rac8 15.Rfd1 Qb8 16.Kh1 Rfe8 17.Bf1 Kh8 18.Be3 Ba8 19.Bg1 Rg8 20.Qe3
Ned7 21.Nab1 g5 22.Nd2 Bd8 23.b4 Bc7 24.Qe1 Rg6 25.Bd3 Ne5 26.Be2
Rcg8 27.Be3 Rh6 28.Nf1 Rgg6 29.Qd2 Qg8 30.a4 Bb7 31.c5 dxc5 32.bxc5
bxc5 33.Rb1 Bc6 34.Bxc5 g4 35.f4 g3 36.fxe5 Nxe4 37.Nxe4 Bxe4 38.Bd3
Bxg2+ 39.Qxg2 gxh2 40.Bxg6 Rxg6 41.Ng3 Rxg3 42.Qe4 Rg4 43.Be7 Black
Resigns

APPROVAL OF EU-ARMENIA ACTION PLAN DELAYED OWING TO NEIGHBOR STATES
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.06.2006 15:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Talks with European Parliament Vice-President Edward
MacMillan-Scott in Yerevan were rather successful, Armenian FM Vartan
Oskanian stated at a news conference in Yerevan. “Vice-President’s
statement that Armenia can become EU member in coming 10 years was
good news to me,” Oskanian said.
The Armenian FM also noted that talks between Armenia and the EU over
approval of the Action Plan are not over yet. “There are no unsolved
matters within the program and there is no need for another round
of talks over the Action Plan. Delay of the final decision is due to
our neighbors having some difficulties with the EU,” Oskanian said.
As of Iran’s nuclear program, in the Armenian FM’s words, “Yerevan
assesses as positive the fact that Teheran did not turn down the EU
new proposals.” “We welcome EU High Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana’s efforts in Teheran and the
intention of the US to hold direct dialogue with Iran. We also hope
that it will be possible to solve Iran’s nuclear issue by means of
talks, without application of sanctions and military force,” Oskanian
underscored. The Armenian FM refused to comment on anti-government
statements of Azerbaijani residents of northern provinces of Iran.