Author: Kanayan Tamar

Philippines News Agency
May 31, 2013 Friday

Armenia to hold international meeting on democracy, citizen participation

YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 31 — Armenia will hold an international conference on
June 18 to discuss democracy and citizen participation, the country’s
Ministry of Territorial Administration said Thursday.

The meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the
Council of Europe (CLRAE) and a number of international conferences on
various topics will be attended by CLRAE President Herwig van Staa,
international and local experts, other stakeholder organizations and
representatives of non-governmental organizations.

The CLRAE is a pan-European political assembly representing over
200,000 authorities in 47 European states.

RA Control Chamber of Armenia found irregularities in the construction
of “North-South” road: construction halted

2013-06-01 22:20:07

Today RA National Assembly held a meeting of the Board of RA Control
Chamber, which was followed by a press conference of the RA Chairman
of Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakarian. During the meeting the reports
with the results of ongoing review of the legality and effectiveness
of the process of calculating the cost of construction of
“North-South” road were discussed.

Recall that the construction of the road is constructed by Spanish
“Isolux Korsan” company and “Sofezh” French company is responsible for
the technical control.

During the inspection of the construction of North-South road
North-South numerous violations were found.

Studies of the Control Chamber found that the road builders have not
provided the required thickness of the concrete, the concrete quality
is low, the construction is carried out with technical violations,
drainage is not provided and so on. According to the conclusion of
Control Chamber, the company “Sofezh” did not properly fulfill its
obligations under the technical control.

“The Chamber of Control during the operational control stated that the
company, which carries out the inspection, has not fulfilled its
duties under the contract. The identified violations were reported to
the President of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of which the
director of office of the program was dismissed, the all construction
was temporarily suspended”, Zakarian said.

President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met personal representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk

20:36, 1 June, 2013

On 1 June President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met personal
representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Issues related to the recent developments and current situation along the
line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan armed
forces were discussed during the meeting

On June 6 Aram Khachaturian International Competition-Festival will be launched

17:31, June 1, 2013

In 2013 the whole musical world celebrates the 110th anniversary of
the great Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, on the occasion of
which Aram Khachaturian International Festival will be held worldwide
within the whole year.

The opening ceremony will take place on June 6, the birthday of the
great musician. On the same day in Yerevan the 9th Aram Khachaturian
International Competition will be launched this year for cello
specialty only. Cellists and world-famous musical guests from around
the world will arrive in Yerevan. During the opening ceremony of the
contest the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, which has been the
official orchestra of the competition since 2007, and world-renowned
cellist Gautier Capuçon from France will perform.

Aram Khachaturian International Competition was implemented thanks to
joint efforts of RA Ministry of Culture, `Aram
Khachaturian-competition’ Cultural Foundation and Yerevan Komitas
State Conservatory. It is held under the high patronage of the First
Lady of RA Mrs. Rita Sargsyan, who is honorary president of the board
of trustees of the competition. Since 2010 the main partner of the
competition has been the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation.

It is noteworthy in May of this year the Aram Khachaturian
International Competition has become a member of the World Federation
of International Music Competitions.

The membership of Aram Khachaturian International Competition in this
prestigious federation is a great honor. It opens new perspectives and
is another step on the way to present Armenian culture to the world.

Panarmenian media group and Gallup international association launch
joint program, to study Armenia’s consumer market

YEREVAN, June 1. /ARKA/. PanArmenian Media Group and the Armenian
office of Gallup International Association signed a cooperation
agreement today to launch a joint program to study Armenia’s consumer
market.

The agreement was signed by PanArmenian Media Group president Vazrik
Sekoyan and head of the Armenian office of Gallup International
Association Aram Navasardian.

“The goal of our joint program is to enable our customers to get
reliable information about producers and the quality of their
products,” Sekoyan said. He said as part of the program the partners
will conduct a series of studies this year, including a monitoring of
consumer and commodity markets, producers and suppliers. The findings
will be published periodically.

Navasardian said the program also includes an assessment of the
performance of ministries and other government agencies by the
citizens through the use of a variety of methodologies, including
population surveys and studies in focus groups.

Navasardian noted that in the course of the program the scope of the
research will be expanded depending on the desires of consumers and
the trends of the Armenian market.

The program will end with a gala concert, during which the companies
producing the highest quality products and services will be awarded
with special prizes.

PanArmenian Media Group, founded in July 2012, includes Armenia TV,
ATV, ArmNews, ArmRadio and Radio Jan stations and Nana and TV Mol
magazines.-0-

Turkish carpets conquered world, leaving Armenia in shadow – historian

15:50 – 01.06.13

The Turkish expansionism to master the neighboring nations’
carpet-making art yielded its fruits in the past century and half,
developing the concept of Seljuk or Muslim carpets, says an Armenian
historian.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Ashkhunj Poghosyan, a PhD candidate
in historical sciences specialized in the carpet arts, expressed
regret that carpet-making in Armenia fell far behind Turkey which did
not originally have such a culture.

`It was thoroughly planned. The Turkish tribes had to become a nation,
after all; they did have that realization. And in order to be a
nation, one needs a cultural haze. And the culture – ranging from
architecture to carpet-making – of all the nations that lived in the
region was chosen an appropriate target,’ the expert said, noting that
the trend goes back to the second decade of the century when Turkish
universities launched chairs in applied arts and founded corresponding
research centers across the country.

Poghosyan said the idea was prompted by German orientalists whose plan
received the nationalistic government’s approval.

`The network is very well organized in Turkey, and it is very good
they have done such a thing for themselves. Of course, that’s too bad
for us, but they were not supposed to think about us. We should have
thought about that,’ he said, adding that the same remarks also go for
Azerbaijan which began developing the trend in the 1960s.

But instead of talking and criticizing the neighbors, the expert
proposed taking specific steps, particularly opening carpet museums
and research institutions in Armenia and launching university
departments dealing with carpet-making culture.

`Most have no idea about Armenia or the Armenian carpets, as the USSR
used to export them with the `Soyuz Export’ [Union export] labeling.
But the recent couple of years’ struggle and advertising did finally
produce a result. And the world community finally came to know about
the Armenian carpet,’ added Leonid Andreasyan, a marketing and
manufacturing director at the Art Studio Mergelyan.

He said the company’s efforts have helped suppress the Turkish
manufacturers on the international markets, adding that they managed
to annually export 15,000 sq. meters of carpets until the 2009 global
recession.

Armenian-Kuwaiti agreements are materializing – President Sargsyan

June 01, 2013 | 16:35

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday received a
delegation led by Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashid of the National Assembly
of Kuwait.

Sargsyan stressed that they are happy to host the delegations that
come to Armenia from friendly Kuwait, the President’s Press Office
informs. He noted that the telling witness of Armenia’s and the
Armenian people’s relations with the Arab world is their shared
history, on whose basis the interstate relations develop.

The interlocutors underscored the mutual visits. Reflecting on his
visit to Kuwait in 2009 and the agreements that were reached during
this trip, Sargsyan said these agreements are materializing, as
embassies are functioning in both countries and the second session of
the intergovernmental commission will convene this year in Kuwait.

Serzh Sargsyan and Ali Fahad Al-Rashid also reflected on regional
matters and challenges.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

The Azerbaijani Delegate has Pretty Much Amused the European Representatives

June 1 2013

The next plenary session of `Euronest’ will be in Yerevan On May 26-30
the 3rd plenary session of `Euronest’ Parliamentary Assembly of the
Eastern Partnership was held in Brussels, which was attended by the
Armenian delegation of ten parliamentarians. It’s worth to remind that
the `Euronest’ is a platform of comprehensive parliamentary
cooperation, a structure uniting the European Parliament and
parliamentary delegations of Eastern Partnership countries joined by
all the countries of Eastern Partnership, except Belarus. Issues on
human rights, the economy, energy security, and culture are discussed
in `Euronest’ which brings the countries of Eastern Partnership closer
to the greater European family. This partnership is expected to
mitigate the visa regime, as well.

Yesterday, Hovhannes Sahakyan, delegation member from the Republican
Party speaking to `Aravot’ said that the most important issue that our
delegates were able to solve during this plenary session is that the
next plenary session will take place in Armenia in the fall of 2014.
It is another platform where we can make our voices heard and our
views raised, which will be attended by about 60 members of the
European Parliament. We should try to use this platform as efficiently
as possible.’ – said Mr. Sahakyan.

Usually, the `Euronest’ sessions are accompanied by anti-Armenian
speeches made by Azerbaijani delegation: this session, too, was not an
exception in this respect. `Azerbaijanis tried to put into circulation
some problems of Sarsang reservoir, deliberate contamination of water
resources, some steps contradicting the international conventions, and
so on, but all of them were both completely taken out from the report,
and were rejected as separate resolutions because they did not have
any connection with reality. However, I understand such rhetoric. Upon
returning to Azerbaijan, they will get Aliyev’s whip. The presidential
elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled in October, and with such
behavior, probably, they are getting ready for the elections. However,
any serious anti-Armenian step, a fact, or a case was not observed.
Everything went very smoothly, and the most important thing is that
all the members of the Armenian delegation were pleased with the
results.’, – said our interlocutor. According to him, the Armenian
delegation worked quite unanimously during this session. `Also, in the
honor to our colleagues representing the opposition, I must say that
they were introduced there as citizens bearing the values of our state
and our country by representing the interests of the state of
Armenia.’ The deputy of the Republican Party, in particular, singled
out the behavior of Vahan Hovhannisyan, the deputy of RA NA ARF
faction, who, when Azerbaijani delegates were just only making their
`on duty statements’ with verbal remarks, strictly chided saying that
there are many problems and issues in the Republic of Armenia, with
which he does not agree, but as a representative of the opposition
power, has noticed that in comparison with Azerbaijan Armenia is quite
democratic, the democratic values are rather developed and are
developing, and the Azerbaijani dictatorship should not be placed on
the same platform. `Our Parliamentarians were able to represent as
united citizens of the state, with joint efforts, without moving the
internal problems to the platform by preventing the tiniest
harassments against our country,’ – said the RP deputy.

Since this platform, so to speak, is not a platform for political
debate, from the date of its creation there has been an agreement in
`Euronest’ that it is not a platform for resolving regional conflicts,
Azerbaijani delegates have only expressed loud complaints that they
cannot bring their own issues to the field of discussions. Moreover,
the Azerbaijani delegates appeared in a ridiculous situation, because,
during the session, the head of Azerbaijani delegation came up with
suggestions on taking certain points out and adding some other points
for discussion, which had no connection with the subject under
discussion. According to the deputy of the Republican Party, it quite
amused the members of the European Parliament. On this occasion,
during the talk with `Liberty’ radio station, the deputy of ARF party
Vahan Hovhannisyan has noticed: `Generally, balanced and normal
documents were adopted. And the most important issue that we had set
was finally resolved today: the next plenary session of `Euronest’
Parliamentary Assembly would be held in Yerevan.’

NELLY GRIGORYAN
Read more at:
© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

PM’s statement on Customs Union membership does not mean Armenia has
chosen Russia – expert

11:08 – 02.06.13

The statement of the Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan made at the meeting
with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev that Armenia’s position
is clear in Customs Union membership issue with just mechanical issues
having remained, does not mean anything, expert Armen Badalyan said
speaking to Tert.am.

The political and election technology expert says Armenia will
continue telling `yes’ to the both parties [EU and Russia] until one
fine day they both will learn that they have been deceived, he said,
adding `till that if the West demands answer Armenia will say that it
is for the Association Agreement, while if Russia demands they will
say that they did not understand it right they meant becoming Customs
Union member.’

Paper Haykakan Zhamanak writes that about a year ago PM Tigran
Sargsyan referring to the Customs Union and said, `There is no example
in world practice when a country becomes a member of Union it does not
have common border with. It will be of no use to become member of such
union as it means that the producers while exporting and importing
their products will have to pass customs clearance procedure through a
third country.’

Asked who of the parties will finally understand that it has been
cheated, Badalyan said, `It depends on which party will exert more
pressure on Serzh Sargsyan.’

Speaking about the behavior of official Yerevan, he said that this
statement once again showed the main principle of the Armenian
authorities – say `no’ to the people’s demand, say `yes’ to each
demand of geopolitical centers.
`Not having legitimacy, Armenia’s president is trying to solve the
issue by saying `yes’ to both the West and Russia,’ he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Diaspora Scientist Joulakian: “The resources exist. What’s lacking is
the political will”

09:53, June 1, 2013

Lebanese-born Bedros Joulakian, a professor of Theoretical Physics at
Université de Lorraine in France, is now in Yerevan on a working
visit.

While there are many Armenians living in the diaspora that have
reached lofty heights in the sciences, there are quite few who, while
willing to cooperate with their counterparts in Armenia, have searched
and found such possibilities.

Years ago Joulakian, working at the Laboratoire de Physique
Moléculaire et des Collisions, Université de Metz (France), organized
a scientific cooperation project with Dr. Artour Ishkhanyan, head of
the Theoretical Physics Division of the RA Engineering Center at the
Academy of Sciences (now a part of the Academy’s Institute for
Physical Research).

The cooperation was productive, several scientific grants were
received and a number of projects were completed that were written up
in leading international physics journals.

Prof. Joulakian first visited Armenia in 2005, to participate in the
Laser Physics conference organized by the Academy of Sciences. He and
his colleague, Prof. Jocelyn Hanssen, had meetings with various
Armenian officials and Academy colleagues. They also met with the
scientific attaches of the French Embassy in Yerevan.

As a result, various scientific cooperation agreements were signed.
One such agreement, signed by the RA Academy of Sciences, the RA
Ministry of Education and Science and the University of Metz, dealt
with the creation of a mechanism to prepare future scientists.

Prof. Joulakian visited Armenia for the second time last October.
Again, it was to participate in the annual Laser Physics conference
and to attend a thesis presentation by Hrayr Azizbekyan, another
graduate student in the French-Armenian program. The professor also
gave a seminar talk at the State Pedagogical Institute.

Dr. Edward Kokanyan, head of the Theoretical Physics and Physics
Instructional Methodology Faculty, said that Joulakian’s research,
while a known factor in Armenia, would have far reaching application
in the future in the areas of plasma physics, astro-physics and
bio-physics.

In addition to the presentation of scientific research, the seminar
allowed for the coordination of educational and scientific approaches
in France and Armenia. Joulakian talked about the system of preparing
teachers at the University of Lorraine, the unique aspects of the
operations of the scientific-research laboratories, the organization
of scientific research and how one goes about obtaining funding for
research. In each respect, the differences between France and Armenia
are striking.

The apparent indifference shown by officials in Armenia regarding the
sciences and the government’s stingy funding of the sector, both
surprised and irritated Prof. Joulakian. Of note is that while he is a
soft-spoken person when it comes to voicing his opinion on such
issues, Prof. Joulakian took the time to jot down some of his thoughts
on the matter on a Facebook page entitled `We demand increased
financing of the sciences’ that has been created in Armenia by a
number of young scientists who have sounded the alarm about what they
deem is the government’s subordination of the importance of the
sciences.

Prof. Joulakian wrote that while some might view his opinions as
presumptuous, coming from a diaspora-Armenian, and while he isn’t
fully informed about the situation in Armenia, what he has read and
heard prompts him to speak out on the matter and to add his voice to
those in Armenia raising their concerns.

The professor writes:

– How can I remain silent when my scientific colleagues in
Armenia are heroically trying to maintain the professional level of
the sciences, when no possibilities are afforded post-doctoral
students to return, and when scientific researchers are joining the
ranks of the unemployed.

– Why aren’t researchers given adequate salaries so that they
can devote their time and energy to scientific pursuits rather than
worrying about material concerns?

– I will not list all the hardships and issues in Armenia. I
will leave that to those much better informed than I who will suggest
solutions. I believe that the resources exist to overcome these
problems in Armenia. What is lacking is the political willingness.
Thus, we must spur such resolve in the ranks of those responsible.

The question remains – are the government and those in charge of the
sciences prepared to listen to Prof Joulakian and the scientific
public sector in Armenia? Do they possess the willingness and desire
to make the changes necessary to save Armenia from the intellectual
disaster on the horizon?