Author: Nahapetian Samvel

AZERBAIJAN CONFIRMED HIS PARTICIPATION

Aysor
Aug 28 2009
Armenia

Today the Azerbaijan’s Judo Federation has officially confirmed his
participation in the European youth league taking place in Armenia,
Yerevan. According the final application the Azerbaijani sport
delegation will consist of 5 sportsmen. Ilgar Mushkiev will present
the 55 w/c, Rasim Asadullaev will present 60 w/c, Fagan Eminoghlu in
66 w/c, Ramin Gurbanov 81 w/c, Elmar Gasimov 100 w/c. The team will be
accompanied with doctors Camil Iskandarov and Azer Mammadov, trainers
Farhad Mammadov, Azer Shikahliev, Aghayar Akhudzadan and trainer
Valeh Maharamov, the head of the delegation is Elshad Alaqbarov. In
the application there is mentioned that two more journalists will
arrive to Yerevan.

"During the meeting that took place in Holland the president of
Azerbaijani federation of Judo spoke about arriving to Yerevan. Today
already we have received the confirmation about their arrival. The
passions in sport especially in Judo are specifically sportive. And
we will receive our guests at a high level. And their security is
guaranteed by the corresponding institutions of our country", –
says Aleqsan Avetisyan the president of RA Judo Federation in the
press release.

NIKOL PASHINYAN’S IMPRISONMENT TERM EXTENDED TILL NOVEMBER 1

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.08.2009 11:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ANC activist Nikol Pashinyan, Editor-in-Chief of
opposition-run "Haykakan Zhamanak" newspaper, will remain in prison
till November 1. Decision to extend activist’s prison term was made
yesterday by the General Jurisdiction Court of Nork-Marash district.

Pashinhyan was charged with crimes prescribed by Section 1, Article
316 (Violence against a representative of authorities) and Section
1, Article 225 (Mass disorder) of RA Criminal Code. On October 23,
2007 Pashinyan used violence against police officers, without causing
health damage, General Prosecutor’s Office says in a release.

On August 4, the criminal case against Pashinyan was separated. The
next day, the accused and his attorneys were notified of the end of
inquest procedures and were given the copies of case records.

During March 1-2, 2008 clashes and disorders following presidential
elections, 8 individuals died, and about 200 were injured as a result
of police operations.

An active participant in above events, Pashinyan went underground
and was being searched by the Police. On July 1, he gave himself up
to law enforcement agencies. The same day pro-opposition activist
was arrested by the law enforcers from Kentron police department and
taken to "Yerevan-Kentron " penitentiary.

NOT THE MOST CORRUPTED, BUT EVIDENCING SUCH CASES

Aysor, Armenia
Aug 26 2009

"We are not the most corrupted but there are such cases. That’s why
the Higher Education Institutions since 2006 have been practicing
written examinations, and this year we are having automated test
exams without participation of lecturers, hence hoping to exclude
the corruption phenomenon",- Yuri Suvaryan, the rector of the Yerevan
State Economic University, declared about this at the press conference.

He informed that the system of automated knowledge test check was
practiced last year. As to Yuri Suvaryan, the number of students
increase year after year, in 2006 there were 1600 applicants,
in 2007-1800, in 2008-2000 and in 2009-2390 applicants. This year
entered 475 students more than expected.

In Yerevan State Economic University three new professions and a
number of specializations were introduced: anti-crisis management,
duty and tax budget rights, economic journalism and etc.

Yuri Suvaryan informed that the credit system is practiced for
bachelors’ degree, and for the system to be effective, each year
course guides are distributed to students, where the principles of
the credit system learning are described.

On answering the questions of Aysor.am, Yuri Suvaryan said that
there was no fee increase during the past 4 years and no increase
is expected in future, as there is the economic crisis and people
live under such conditions. "Though the education becomes expensive,
we will not have any fee increase, it will be immoral", he said.

The rector mentioned that they are in the midst concerning the fees,
as there are other institutions having higher fees: Yerevan State
University, Slavonic University, French University and etc.

Yuri Suvaryan thinks that both state and private universities are
rivals for the Economic University. "We also compete with western
higher education institutions, as some young people want to study
abroad and on coming back they occupy the labor market. And our
student must compete with them".

According to the data provided by the RA Ministry of Education and
Science, there are 17 government and 25 non-government higher education
institutions. The fees are between 250 -800 thousand drams annually,
and the average fee in the Economic University is 400thousand drams.

KAIDANOW’S VISIT TO ARMENIA VEILED

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 24 2009
Armenia

New U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and probable OSCE MG
CO-Chair candidate on NKR issue settlement Tina S. Kaidanow will pay
initial visit to South Caucasus in September. The diplomat plans to
visit Georgia first to meet with Georgian authorities and opposition
representatives.

There is no information about the terms and details of Kaidanow’s
visit to Armenia, U.S. Embassy in Armenia informed NEWS.am.

While Georgia takes Kaidanow’s measure so far, Azerbaijan already
beats the alarm on her possible designation to Bryza’s post. The fact
she was the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo and meanwhile the mover of its
independence raised panic in Azerbaijan.

NEW RF AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 24 2009
Armenia

Newly appointed Russian Ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko
presented the credentials to RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan.

Nalbandyan and Kovalenko discussed Russian-Armenian bilateral issues
related to the regional and foreign policy, RA Foreign Ministry
Press service informed NEWS.am. Vyacheslav Kovalenko comes to replace
Nikolai Pavlov.

Kovalenko, 63, graduated from the Institute of Oriental Languages at
Moscow State University in 1972 and was on diplomat since 1973. In
2004 Kovalenko was appointed as Director of the Second Department of
CIS countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was appointed
as Ambassador of Russia to Georgia on 11 July 2006. Kovalenko speaks
Russian, Arabic, Belarusian and French.

`I am a Man’ to organize film presentation in several towns of Armenia
and Artsakh
22.08.2009 13:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ This autumn, Armenia will host the 3rd `I am a Man’
Caucasian Peace and Human Rights Festival. This year, festival films
will be screened in both Armenian regions (particularly, Syunik, Lori
and Tavush) and Artsakh (Stepanakert, Shushi and Hadrut). Film
presentation within festival frameworks will be almost simultaneously
organized in Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Every year, festival program includes up to twelve documentaries
selected from the series of `One World’ Paris film
festival. Documentaries to be screened this year include films shot by
Israeli, Kyrgyz, Bulgarian, Egyptian Netherlandian, Belgian, French,
Canadian, American, Thailand and Croatian film makers. Film
presentation in Armenia and Artsakh will be accompanied by Russian
dubbing and Armenian subtitles.
This year `I am a Man’ Festival will organize film presentations in 5
Armenian towns, including Yeghegnadzor (September 10-12), Vanadzor
(September 14-16), Noyemberyan (September 18-20), Kapan (September
22-24) and Yerevan (October 9-11). Film presentation in Artsakh will
be organized according to the following schedule: Stepanakert –
September 28-30, Hadrut – October 2-4 and Shushi – October 5-7.

Lisa Kalustian
Chief Deputy Director
Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 South Spring Street, Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213)897-0322
FAX (213)897-0319
[email protected]<mailto: [email protected]>

For Immediate Release:
Thursday, August 20, 2009

Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Charles S. Poochigian to the Fifth
District Court of Appeal
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of
Charles S. Poochigian as associate justice of the Court of Appeal,
Fifth Appellate District.

Poochigian, 60, of Fresno, has served as an attorney with Dowling,
Aaron and Keeler since 2007. Prior to that, he served as a senator
representing the 14th District for the California State Senate from
1998 to 2006 and assemblymember representing the 29th District for the
California State Assembly
from 1994 to 1998. From 1991 to 1994, Poochigian served as the
appointments secretary for Governor Pete Wilson and, from 1988 to
1990, he served as chief deputy appointments secretary for Governor
George Deukmejian. From 1981 to 1988, Poochigan was a sole
practitioner and, from 1975 to 1981, he was
a partner for Vartabedian and Poochigian. Poochigian earned a Juris
Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a
Bachelor of Science degree from California State University,
Fresno. He fills the vacancy created by the death of Justice Thomas
A. Harris. Poochigian is a Republican.

The salary for this position is $204,599.

###

HAYASTAN ALL ARMENIAN FUND BUILDS POTABLE-WATER NETWORK IN DZORAMUT VILLAGE

ARMENPRESS
Aug 18, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: The construction of a new potable-water
system in Dzoramut, a border town in northern Armenia’s Lori Region,
is now in its final stages. The project is sponsored by the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund’s French affiliate.

An official from the fund told Armenpress that with a five-kilometer
water pipeline and the town’s internal water network already built,
currently crews are working on the construction of a water reservoir,
slated to be completed in September 2009.

Commenting on the critically urgent initiative, Dzoramut mayor Ararat
Pnjoyan enthusiastically noted that the town’s 120 families will
soon enjoy a regular and highly reliable supply of drinking water,
a fact which will significantly improve their quality of life. Over
the years, Dzoramut’s old water pipeline had fallen into disrepair,
resulting in an ongoing potable-water crisis for the villagers.

Dzoramut is home to some 310 people, most of whom are refugees. Farming
is the occupation of choice for the majority of the residents.

"By helping secure the essential components of community development
in Armenia’s border towns and villages, the Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund seeks to vigorously contribute to the prosperity of the local
population," Ara Vardanyan, the fund’s executive director said.

ALTERNATIVE: VIABLE STATEHOOD OR NEITHER-STATEHOOD-NOR-PEACE SITUATION

News.am
17:37 / 08/18/2009

NEWS.am has received a statement issued by the Council of the
Trabzon-Ardvin-Batum Association.

Below is an abridged translation of the statement.

"The Nagorno-Karabakh peace process has entered a new stage. The
name of the stage is the intellectual and nervous struggle over
Lower Karabakh.

"Azerbaijan is most enthusiastic over the fact that the first of the
Principles of Nagorno-Karabakh settlement published in July 10 is
the return of the territories round Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

"We do not think it is worth discussing the advisability of
inadvisability of returning the territories to the aggressor
that unleashed a war in 1991. Far less worthy are any talks about
configurations of such a return (five regions now, with two later,
etc…). The consequences of such a return – disastrous for the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process – are clear and can be summed up
as follows: Azerbaijan will spur its old territorial ambitions and
have new ones. The opposite side is openly discussing plans to unite
‘one nation, but two states’ after the anticipated capture of Zangezur.

"Our aim is to tell the reader about two possible ways of developments
is case any decision on the Lower Karabakh is made.

"For some reason, the Armenian expert community is not in the habit
of discussing these alternative ways. May be they take it for granted,
but it must be discussed.

"Way one: return of Lower Karabakh regions to Azerbaijan In this
case, the return of only a few regions is impossible. If even
part of a region is returned, nothing will prevent the return of
all the other regions. If there is no obstacle to the return of
all the regions, Nagorno-Karabakh will return to the ‘borders’ of
1988, when everything started. The Armenian side will return to the
enclave status of Nagorno-Karabakh, with the Lachin corridor not to
play any essential role: land communication between Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh will be as insecure as it was 20 years ago. The
aforementioned will demonstrate to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh the
necessity for forming one state named Republic of Armenia… In
other words, uniting with Armenia will be the only guarantee of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s security… For the Armenian side, the situation
of 1988 will then seem much better than he one 20 years later. Who
will concern himself with the results of a referendum held on
December 10, 1991, wth the Nagorno-Karabakh Constitution of 2006,
its 20-year-long de factor independent statehood, and with many other
things. The present neither-peace-nor-war situation will be replaced
by a neither-statehood-nor-peace one. The probability of a new war
will be even higher, and Artsakh’s weaker statehood will make for
that process. Both the region and the entire world will view the
Armenian statehood as not serious and impotent in the South Caucasus
and the Armenians throughout the world as a socially and politically
degrading nation. It means a split within the Armenian society,
which will throw it decades back in accomplishing national tasks.

"Way two: The adoption of a declaration on its statehood by the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) within its present-day borders,
which will be a step forward as compared with Article 142 of the
NKR Constitution… In that case, the preceding years of neither war
nor peace will be a necessary stage of the NKR people’s consistent
struggle for its statehood. The Armenian side will continue its way
to two states in the South Caucasus – within the borders that will
effectively guarantee their statehood. In hat case, legal acts will
be consistently framed and respected. The key external factors in the
Nagoro-Karabakh peace process will finally understand the Armenian
side’s intention and the fact that these intentions doe not run counter
to their long-term foreign-policy interests" Azerbaijan’s only argument
for the inevitability of return of Lower Karabakh to it is as follows:
Armenians will not be able to stand the external pressure as they have
no foreign policy resources. In fact, no one is willing to pressure
Armenians nor anyone has necessary resources to pressure the Armenian
side into making any steps. We declare it with all responsibility
on the basis of contacts with experts representing all the OSCE MG
Co-Chairing countries, officials of the countries a well as of the
key EU member-states having to do with the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process. We expect the Armenian side to make fundamental decisions on
the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and all the public and political
forces to have one and the same position on the issue.

Some may dislike this alternative, but it is an alternative to a
national disaster."

ADVISER TO GEORGIAN PRESIDENT ACCUSES ARMENIANS OF TELLING A LIE

Today.Az
18 August 2009 [17:42]

Akhali Taoba newspaper reports that Armenians living in Georgia have
sent a letter to Armenian government with a request "to help them to
protect against Georgians and Azerbaijanis living in Georgia."

A letter has been written in part by Armenian population in Kvemo
Kartli. Adviser to Georgian President Van Bayburt stated that he got
familiar with the letter and can say that everything written in it
is a lie.

He said the letter mentions Samtskhe Javakhk-Tsalka. This indicates
that apart from the falsification of history, the authors of the letter
began falsifying geography, too. Bayburt notes that this term is used
only one organization – "United Javakhk", which is funded from Russia
and it is quite clear, to which the letter testifies.

He also denied any confrontation between Armenians and Azerbaijanis
living in Georgia. With regard to the question of Tsalka, Bayburt
rules out possibility of claims by Armenia on the territory, because
in his words, Yerevan is well aware of the situation and this issue
will never become urgent.