Author: Kanayan Tamar

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE MINISTER OPENS PRE-EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND A COLLEGE IN VAYOTS DZOR

ARMENPRESS
20:11, 14 October, 2011

Armenian Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan visited
today Vayots Dzor. Press service of Armenian Ministry of Science
and Education told Armenpress that in Yelpin and Chiva villages the
Minister participated in opening of pre-educational establishments,
constructed within the framework of “Education Quality and
Correspondence” 2nd loan program of the World Bank.

The establishments have opened in the buildings of the community
schools. They have been repaired, equipped with relevant property,
ensured with all necessary accessories. The Minister congratulated
on the opening of the establishments and stressed that the state has
undertaken the organization of education of 5-6 year-old pre-school
children.

In Yeghegnadzor Armen Ashotyan participated in opening of the regional
college of Vayots Dzor, completely repaired with the support of EU,
and equipped with modern engineering. Head of EU delegation to Armenia,
Ambassador Raul de Luzenberger was present at the opening ceremony
of the college. The ambassador completes his diplomatic mission
in Armenia. He highly appraised the level of cooperation with the
Armenian Ministry of Education and Science, noting that all the works
have been efficiently implemented.

PRELIMINARY WORKS OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN’S STATE VISIT TO RUSSIA DISCUSSED

ARMENPRESS
19:34, 14 October, 2011

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met today in Moscow with
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Armenian Foreign Affairs
Ministry’s press service told Armenpress that at the meeting the
preliminary works of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s state visit
to Russia were discussed.

REPORT: TURKS ARE AMONG UNHAPPIEST NATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 14, 2011 – 18:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A new report by the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) that aims to paint a comprehensive
picture of well-being in OECD countries and other major economies by
looking at people’s material living conditions and quality of life
across the population has found that Turks are the 32nd happiest among
those in the 40 countries that were studied, Today’s Zaman reports.

In the “How’s Life?” initiative, the results of which were published
online on Oct. 12, The OECD studied 11 specific aspects of life that
are believed to contribute to the overall well-being of people across
the world. The organization looked at parameters such as income, jobs,
housing, health and work-life balance to assess how people perceive
the quality of their lives.

The report shows that income is a prime contributing factor
to well-being, yet so are less obvious factors such as a clean
environment, health and safe neighborhoods. According to the report,
when respondents were asked whether they are satisfied with their life,
Danes rated their life satisfaction at 7.8 on average and topped the
list. Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia,
Israel and Finland were the next most satisfied, followed by people
in Ireland, Austria and the United States. Turkey ranked 32nd in this
category. When asked the question “How are you feeling today?” Danes
again came in at the top, with approximately 88 percent responding that
they felt positive emotions, while Turkey hit the bottom on this scale.

The report found that Norwegians, Finns and Danes are the most
politically active, with more than 60 percent saying they had
contacted a politician, signed a petition, worked with a pressure
group or demonstrated in the past year, while Turks, Portuguese and
Russians reported the lowest levels of activism.

ARMENIAN EXPERT SCEPTICAL OVER FRANCE’S SUCCESS IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 14, 2011 – 14:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian political analyst is sceptical over
the ability of France to succeed in Karabakh conflict settlement,
suggesting the process will drag on for a long time.

As Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told a news conference in Yerevan, Armenia
must populate Artsakh-surrounding liberated territories as soon as
possible. “We’ve been delaying the process for 20 years, however,
with settlement dragging on, there still time to populate the area,”
the expert said.

Dwelling on Russia’s role in conflict settlement, the expert noted,
“with Vladimir Putin elected as President, Moscow will decrease
involvement in the process, Russia’s foreign policy tending to focus
on Ukraine and Afghanistan.”

ARMENIA-BASED NO SILENCE GROUP DEMANDS RESIGNATION OF JOINT STAFF CHIEF

Tert.am
17:44 14.10.11

In response to the demand for Armenian Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan’s resignation by the Facebook group “Army free of dubious
suicides”, and the group’s calls for joining this demand, the No
Silence action group states that it is the Chief of the Joint Staff,
General Yuri Khachaturov rather than the minister of defense that is
in direct command of the military personnel.

“It is common knowledge that Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov is
holding this post in Armenia. It is the Joint Staff that is organizing
the daily service of the Armenian army. Therefore, it is the chief
of Joint Staff that is immediately responsible for the quality of the
army’s everyday life. In this respect, a public demand for resignation
of the Joint Staff chief, not of the defense minister, must be made,”
says the group’s statement.

“Of course, we must not stop at this. This resignation is supposed to
inaugurate the reforms of the high command (generals) of the Armenian
army. The later we start this process the longer our brothers and
friends will face dangers in the army,” says the statement.

The No Silence action group has at its disposals evidence (mainly
video records) of corruption of 18 top-ranking army officers. However,
the group does not consider it advisable to make it public now.

The group believes that it is only resignations that can change the
situation in the Armenian army. Posts must be held by people concerned
with army problems and soldiers’ life, who are well informed of modern
military art and military psychology.

ANALYST: AZERBAIJAN DIVIDES ITS TERRITORY FROM NKR’S ON ITS OWN INITIATIVE

ARMENPRESS
15:04, 14 October, 2011

The building of the wall on the border is of only propaganda nature,
political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told a news conference
today, adding that it will not serve any defensive goal.

“Vice versa, they always and at any occasion insist that it will be
like the Chinese wall. The goal of the latter was to be protected from
the barbarian tribes of the north. Now Azerbaijan as if is trying to
do the same,” he noted, adding that the current frozen situation of
the Karabakh issue makes Azerbaijan take “innovative steps”.

“Let them build the wall in line of the whole border of Artsakh. With
it they point out their border with Arstakh, dividing their territory
from the NKR’s. It becomes so that it stems from our interests only,”
Shahnazaryan pointed out.

ARMENIA HAS EVERY CHANCE TO ACHIEVE NKR’S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION – EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 14, 2011 – 15:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia has every chance of achieving international
recognition of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, according to a political
analyst.

“Were Armenia and Artsakh to initiate the process, they would
certainly succeed more than Russia did with Abkhazia and South
Ossetia recognition,” Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told a news conference
in Yerevan.

“Should the process start, approx. 30 countries might recognize the
Artsakh Republic, realizing the time’s come to specify its status,”
the expert noted. “Armenia is capable of achieving that in shortest
time limits.”

As the expert noted, after Uruguayan Foreign Minister’s statement
suggesting the country’s ready to recognize NKR, Azerbaijan attempted
to bribe Uruguay’s officials to prevent recognition.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister of Uruguay said that his government
has begun the process to make an official announcement regarding the
status of Nagorno Karabakh. “I am personally convinced that Nagorno
Karabakh is part of historic Armenia and it must be independent and
in a short while be unified with Armenia. This is the only resolution
to the Artsakh issue,” Luis Almagro stated.

20 SOLDIERS KILLED IN CEASEFIRE VIOLATION IN 2011 – OSCE OFFICIAL

Tert.am
16:27 ~U 14.10.11

The violations of the ceasefire accord on the Contact Line between
and Azerbaijan claimed two dozen soldiers’ lives in 2011, according
to the personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office.

At the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s fall session in Dubrovnik,
Croatia, Andrzej Kasprzyk said a total of 20 Armenian and Azerbaijani
soldiers were killed and some 36 were injured in the ceasefire
violations on the border.

According to the Azerbaijani news agency SalamNews, the OSCE official
characterized the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict an unsettled rather than
a frozen dispute.

SILVIO BERLUSCONI TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN

Tert.am
14:14 ~U 15.10.11

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is planning a visit to Baku,
the Azerbaijani ambassador to Italy has said.

Apa news agency has quoted Vagif Sadykhov as saying that the visit
is scheduled for the beginning of next year.

“Italy is interested in purchasing the Azerbaijani gas. Besides,
the two countries are negotiating over the ITGI [Turkey-Greece-Italy]
project,” the Azerbaijani diplomat said.

KISSINGER SAYS TURKEY CAN PLAY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN REGION

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 12 2011

One of the most prominent US statesmen and scholar, Henry Kissinger,
has said Turkey can play a significant role in the region at a time
of shifting circumstances but also warned the newly emerging nation
not to cross American vital interests in the region.

“Turkey will fill part of a regional void left by the US as it
withdraws from Iraq and, eventually, Afghanistan,” Kissenger was quoted
by the Wall Street Journal as saying during a conference in Ä°stanbul
on Thursday. However, he added that Ankara should be careful not to
cross Washington’s vital interests in the region.

“Turkey’s influence is growing at a time that the US is withdrawing
from Iraq and Afghanistan, plus Libya is opening up – so Turkey can
play a significant role,” Kissinger said. “It shouldn’t run across
interests that the US considers imperative. I expect relations will
be constructive.”

Speaking about NATO’s early warning radar system which Turkey agreed
to host, Kissinger said he sees this as an expression of the fact
that on some issues the US and Turkey have parallel interests.

Kissinger, assessing the rift between Turkey and Israel over flotilla
deaths, said both sides were at fault in their dispute over whether
Israel should apologize for flotilla incident.

“Both sides will have to make an adjustment in terms of their
position – this is not just a problem of [Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin] Netanyahu. People know what the problem is, they know what
the solution is, but they can’t bring themselves to do it,” Kissinger
said, according to the report.