Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

ARMENIAN AND JEWISH CEMETERIES DESECRATED

A1+
[12:27 am] 22 June, 2006

130 tombstones have been destroyed in the city of Kremenki, region
Zhukovsk, Kaluga. 15 crosses and a monument have been thrown to the
street. Nikolay Babin, the head of the organization "Ritual" said,
"Those were graves of Armenian and Jewish children and veterans. They
have destroyed everything", newspaper "Yerkramas" informs.

The suspects have been arrested. Most probably the attack on the
cemetery will be qualified as drunken hooliganism. 17-18-year-old two
young people have also been arrested. The investigation is continuing.

OSCE MISSION TO HOLD MONITORING ON FRONTIER ZONE BETWEEN NKR AND AZERBAIJAN

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 21 2006

June 28, 2006 the OSCE Mission schedules to hold monitoring on the
frontier zone between the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the
Aghdam direction, the NKR MFA Press Service reports.

As it has already been informed, June 15, 2006 the NKR MFA appealed to
the Office of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s Personal Representative
to hold crisis monitoring on the territory adjacent to Azerbaijan to
really gauge the situation on the spot and refute the Azeri party’s
forced accusations of arsons that have allegedly taken place on the
territories controlled by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

The NKR MFA expressed readiness to render assistance to the OSCE
Mission to hold the monitoring.

WHAT PROBLEM DOES THE SALE OF FIFTH GENERATING UNIT SOLVE?
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
21 June 06

How can a man selling his furniture or fridge to support his family be
described, even if that man is the only man in the family? The sale
of the fifth generating unit of the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan
was but a global model of this example. Therefore, a description is
necessary. However, the public does not have enough information to
give a description, a description of the deal. Serge Sargsyan promised
to give this information. He said there are details, and on learning
these details the public will become convinced that the state property
was sold successfully. But these details have not been presented
yet. Either because of being busy, or having forgotten or hoping that
the public will forget about the promise to announce the details.

It is also possible that there are no details at all. In this case,
the deal and its authors must be described relying on what there is.

And what is there? The generating unit was sold to solve the problem
of gas for people for three years. Roughly speaking, these 250 million
dollars from the sale of the generating unit will be spent on buying
gas, in other words, we deal with a "generating unit for gas or gas
for generating unit" deal. Surprisingly, the government of Armenia
and the international financial organizations evaluated this deal as
positive. From the point of view of the price and the conditions of
contract may, in fact, quite good. It is necessary, however, to find
out the purpose of the deal. Was it to sell the generating unit or
was it to compensate for the rising price of gas? If the purpose was
to sell the generating unit, why did not they put it out to tender,
why no bids were made? After all, the Iranians also had a proposal
regarding the block; of course, they bid a lower price, but instead
the generating unit would remain the property of Armenia. The Iranian
proposal was a loan, but it is more logical than irretrievable
spending of the money from the sale within three years and losing
the property. In other words, the Armenian government does not and
will not benefit from the deal.

The explanation that by subsidizing gas the Armenian production
becomes more competitive is almost as far from being logical as the
deal itself. In fact, they can similarly sell whatever the state has
and cover all the expenses on energy instead of subsidizing. Hence,
our economy will become competitive not only in the region but also in
the European Union. The situation is total absurdity. Over the next
three years, when the government will be subsidizing our economy,
the economies of Georgia and Azerbaijan will simply adapt to the high
price of gas. And when the government stops subsidizing businesses
in three years, it is impossible to imagine the state of Armenian
businesses against Georgian and Azerbaijani businessmen.

Besides, people who think that the economies of Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan compete are badly mistaken. These are so tiny that the
notion of competition does not even occur, because the economies of
the three countries have an insignificant presence on foreign markets.

In other words, it is obvious that the arguments of the government are
excuse rather than explanation. Besides, it is difficult to believe
that the Armenian government agreed to sell the generating unit for
the sake of the Armenian producers and population, because the same
government does not make any efforts to relieve the revaluation of
the Armenian dram, which raises the costs of local production and
empties the pockets of the population.

In the meantime, the revaluation of the dram affects the fifth
generating unit as well. The 250 million dollars that the government
of Armenia receives must be paid to Armrusgasard. It is clear that it
must be paid in drams, because the currency in Armenia is the dram,
as the "witnesses of revaluation of the dram" like to repeat.

Whereas Russia is going to pay 250 million in dollars. The dram is
being revaluated, and 250 million dollars in a dram amount is less now
than at the moment of the deal. Besides, the revaluation may continue,
whereas the price of gas does not change. In fact, 250 million dollars
may not make the necessary dram amount for subsidies in the upcoming
three years. In other words, the sale of the generating unit does
not appear to solve even the problem of subsidizing gas. And it is
becoming more urgent to find out what problem it solves.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE CEREMONY DEDICATED TO THE
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will celebrate its 50th anniversary
on July 18-19 in Lisbon. The president of the foundation has invited
a large number of officials from different countries in the world to
attend the ceremony.

Responding to the invitation addressed to His Holiness Aram I,
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of North
America) and V.

Rev. Fr. Norayr Ashekian, Director of the Printing House of
the Catholicosate, will attend the ceremonies on behalf of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia.

On this occasion, His Holiness Aram I sent a letter to the foundation’s
president, praising its humanitarian, cultural and educational work
throughout the last 50 years and commending particularly the work
of the foundation’s Armenian Department. The Catholicos particularly
praised Dr.

Michael Yesayan, his son, Martin Yesayan, who has now replaced him
and Dr.

Zaven Yegavian, who carried out their tasks with great dedication and
commitment, bringing an important contribution to the flourishing of
Armenian educational and cultural life.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.

NOT QUITE A ROW OF SIXES; RANKING ECONOMIC POLICIES

The Economist
June 17, 2006
U.S. Edition

The World Bank reveals what it thinks of its clients

ARMENIA and Zimbabwe belong at opposite ends of any alphabetic roll
call of nations. They also belong at opposite ends of the World
Bank’s pecking order of developing countries, which it has unveiled
for the first time. Each year the bank gives countries between one
and six marks for their efforts to do the sort of things of which
it approves, such as curbing budget deficits, keeping tariffs low
and even narrowing the gap between the sexes and looking after the
environment. Armenia scored 4.3 overall; Zimbabwe 1.8.

Points mean prizes: the 16 indicators help decide who gets what from
the pot of $33 billion the bank can disburse to its poorest members
over three years. Until now, the bank had let on only which of five
broad tiers countries fell into. Now everyone’s score is on the bank’s
website for all to see.

Armenia tops the class largely because of its stunning macroeconomic
record. Its GDP grew by 14% in 2005, whereas Zimbabwe’s shrank by
6.5%. Armenia’s inflation rate is lower than Japan’s (it has done
almost too well, you might say). Prices in Zimbabwe, where official
statisticians track the debauching of the currency with admirable
precision, rose by 1,193.5% in the year to May.

The bank’s assessments draw on the judgment of staff in situ and
in Washington, DC, guided by a detailed questionnaire. A country
deserves four marks out of six for its trade policy, for example,
if its average tariff is less than 16% and its customs houses run
smoothly, marred only by the odd demand for "tea money" to speed
things up. A country where women cannot easily request a divorce and
where female genital mutilation is neither a crime nor uncommon would
score just one for gender equality.

The indicators faithfully mirror "the evolution of the development
paradigm", as the bank puts it. They provide a long checklist of
things that matter, but no sense of the proper sequence of them, nor
of trade-offs between them. To earn full marks for fiscal policy, for
example, a country must show it can cut public spending in economic
adversity without "jeopardising the quality and quantity of public
goods". The sprawling range of concerns, from current-account deficits
to teenage pregnancy, bespeaks broad-mindedness. But, in practice,
countries that score well on one of the indicators tend to do well
on most.

The bank deliberated at length before disclosing its ratings. Some
outside advisers did worry that publishing the results might spook
investors or tempt politicians to "abuse the ratings for political
gain". But if an enterprising politician were to use a poor score to
press for reform, the numbers might do as much good as the money that
follows them.

BLING-BLING BOYS FROM ABROAD; KENYA

The Economist
June 17, 2006
U.S. Edition

Armenians deported from Kenya

An odd saga with Armenians has mocked the government

"THE last six days have been humiliating for this nation," opined
Kenya’s Standard newspaper this week. "Our sovereignty has been
violated. Our nationhood has been insulted. Our borders have been
encroached by hostile forces."

Earlier this year two men claiming to be Armenian brothers, confusingly
calling themselves Artur Margariyan and Arthur Sargsian, came to
the nation’s attention. They were alleged, said Kenya’s opposition
politicians at the time, to be mercenaries responsible for organising
raids by police commando units on television and newspaper offices. The
raids were supposedly an attempt to muzzle Kenya’s largely free
press by powerful figures in the embattled government appointed by
President Mwai Kibaki-and specifically to stop investigative reporting
on government corruption.

It was the Armenians’ style that caught the eye. They were not
mercenaries, they insisted, but worthy businessmen involved in
property, diamonds and a night club. Their bling-bling image-dark
glasses, gold chains and wads of cash-delighted Nairobi’s hip-hop crowd
and appalled others, particularly those whom the Armenians came up
against. The brothers’ claims to be relatives of Armenia’s president
sounded shaky. Some even doubted whether they were Armenian at all.

They certainly seemed to have protectors high up in Kenya’s
government. But it was only after the two men allegedly pulled
guns on customs officials at Nairobi’s main airport last week that
the extent of their ties was revealed. The police commissioner,
Hussein Ali, had them deported on June 9th and their Nairobi house
and buildings searched. Inside, according to police reports, were
a Mercedes with government licence plates, AK-47 machine guns with
presidential security unit serial numbers, Ceska automatic pistols,
Kenyan passports bearing the photos of the Armenians but with other
names, a document appointing one of the men a Kenyan police detective,
plus masks and jackets similar to those used in commando raids on
the media outlets. Among other items was a security pass granting
the Armenians access to secure areas of the airport; this, along
with the alleged way the men claimed a piece of luggage at gunpoint,
particularly upset diplomats, some of whom reckon that Nairobi and
its airport remain a target for jihadist terrorist plots.

Distancing himself from the Armenians, Mr Kibaki has suspended several
senior policemen and immigration and airport officials. An inquiry
may reveal who the Armenians really were, what they did and whether
they were in the pay of the government. It is unlikely to improve
the government’s reputation or help the forlorn, indecisive Mr Kibaki.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN HATES PLAYERS ON THEIR OWN

Lragir.am
15 June 06

The fate of the newly established political parties is unpredictable,
stated Aram Harutiunyan, the leader of the National Agreement Party,
June 15, at the Pakagits Club. He said the Bargavach Hayastan Party
and Unity for Armenia Party do not differ from the ruling parties.

According to Aram Harutiunyan, uncertainty awaits the Unity for
Armenia Party. The leader of the National Agreement Party says this
political party has two poles – Member of Parliament Karen Karapetyan
and Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepyan. Saying that Robert Kocharyan
does not like when his subjects play on their own, Aram Harutiunyan
forecasts that the Unity for Armenia party may not reach the finish
it was designed for.

Aram Harutiunyan predicts uncertain future for the Bargavach Hayastan
Party, referring to this political force as a charity. Aram Harutiunyan
says the political team of this political party is not known, it is
rumored. According to the leader of the National Agreement Party
the members enlisted in the Bargavach Hayastan Party do not hurry
to announce about their choice because the future of this political
party is certainly unpredictable unless the political team of this
party becomes known. "Much depends on the stance of Serge Sargsyan,"
says Aram Harutiunyan. According to him, Serge Sargsyan will run for
parliament on the Republican party ticket. Aram Harutiunyan says Serge
Sargsyan will not be playing on his own. At least he thinks that the
defense minister does not play on his own because Robert Kocharyan
and Serge Sargsyan are "Siamese twins."

PROSPECTS OF AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY DOCTRINE: PROBLEMS AND GOALS: INTERVIEW WITH RAUF RAJABOV

Regnum, Russia
June 15 2006

Rauf Rajabov – military expert, director of the Peace, Democracy and
Culture Research Analytical Center (Baku)

REGNUM: For many years already people in Azerbaijan have been talking
about early adoption of a military doctrine. Some local media even
said this would happen during the spring parliamentary session, but
"the cart is still there." Obviously, they are also having problems
with the declared formation of the Defense-Industrial Complex…

Now we have specific deadlines: the military advisor of the Azeri
president, Gen. Vahid Aliyev has said that by the end of 2006 Milli
Mejlis will adopt the long-awaited Military Doctrine. One must not
dawdle with military doctrine for years. For example, Azerbaijan’s
strategic partner Georgia was very quick in adopting a military
doctrine – a document mentioning both possible enemy (it almost names
it – "northern country") and strategic partners as well as clearly
defining goals – integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. Of course,
we need a different military doctrine but we can’t but envy Georgia’s
quickness.

One of the priorities of the Azeri president’s policy is to form
defense industry. For example, why buy arms and equipment abroad if
one can arrange their licensed production at home? It is also time
to decide what defense-industrial sphere will be given what priority
depending on the long-term needs of the army and the mobilization needs
of the state. The formation of Defense-Industrial Complex will allow
local defense companies to transit from just surviving to developing,
and the key prerequisite for this is the substantial increasse in
military expenses due to high oil prices.

Quite recently the Ukrainian president decreed to increase
the country’s military expenses to $650 mln. Certainly, the
formation of DIC will be good for the country’s defense capacity
and military security. Besides, as military challenges and the
general geo-political situation in the "Big Caucasus" are getting
increasingly specific, Azerbaijan is beginning to feel growing need
for tougher requirements to the economic security parameters of its
defense sector and for certain changes in its military-technical
cooperation policies. However, in order to attain qualitative results
in the military, the country needs a long-term program of reforms.

REGNUM: What is the idea of the military reform the country has been
planning for already a decade?

The idea is that it should embrace the whole defense system with
the army reforms being just a part of it. The strategic plan of
Azerbaijan’s military reforms might have the following priorities: to
urgently adopt a military doctrine – as even a lieutenant knows that
military doctrine is a military constitution; to provide fundamental
knowledge at military higher schools; to form a mobile regular
organizational structure; to improve army technique and logistics;
to recruit and train personnel; to democratize the military life;
to ensure the social and legal security of military men and their
families; to adapt military reforms to market economy conditions;
to build the army with due regard for existing and possible military
threats.

The military reform should consider the economic situation in the
country, the acting legislation, the military budget, the forming
military-industrial complex and the army strength. The strength and
structure of the Azeri army should conform to the country’s political,
economic and other capabilities and, most importantly, with its foreign
political priorities. The strategic objective of the military reform is
to bring the Azeri army into conformity with the new Azeri statehood,
political system and economy, with the content and the nature of the
wars of XXI, with real and potential challenges to the national and
regional interests and security of Azerbaijan.

The concept of military reform should have the status of state program
or, even, of law.

REGNUM: I suppose, like in the case of other bills, the military reform
concept will be unofficially presented by the concerned department,
i.e. the defense ministry?

By no means. We must not allow the defense ministry to draft the
concept "the way it likes." We won’t be able to speak about any
military reform until we decide our key problems: approve the concept
of national security, specify key external and internal treats,
create optimal system of army financing and re-equipment, draft
new conscription law, overhaul the ruined system of reserve officer
retraining and mobilization infrastructure, restore the system of
sport-patriotic education of the youth.

Unless we resolve the above problems, all our good intentions
to drastically reform the army will remain just good intentions,
which, as you know, are a road to hell. We must stop demagogy about
contract army. In the US this process took over 15 years and was fed
by constantly growing military budget. Before launching military
reforms we must, first and foremost, decide what functions the
Defense Ministry and the General Staff should have, in what kind of
subordination they should be to the president-the commander-in-chief,
what specific forms of control the society and the parliament should
exercise over the army. The military reform concept should fully
comply with all acting laws and the military doctrine of Azerbaijan.

Neither reforms nor other political, social or economic reasons can or
must prevent the country from fulfilling its duty to protect its own
sovereignty and to keep high the fighting readiness of its soldiers
and officers. The army has had and continues to have problems, but
they are though slowly but being resolved due mostly to the officers
for whom the concept "there is a profession to protect Homeland"
has not lost its genuine meaning.

REGNUM: The re-equipment of the Azeri army is a problem that can be
easily solved if there is necessary money, but this medal has the
other side. As the well-known author of Marxism-Leninism would say:
personnel decide everything. Have they replaced the dismissed old
commanders with people who can form really up-to-date units?

Some soldiers show much lower moral than military-technical
development. The actions of some officers require moral
consciousness, relations and practice as they are part of military
policy. Indifference and passiveness lead to inertness and degradation,
while low morality to deterioration of the military art.

Rudeness and low professionalism are a big threat for the army –
during war this results in big losses, during peace the incompetence,
subservience and careerism of such soldiers cripple the fighting
capacity of the army and damage its prestige. Many such officers go up
very quickly and the higher ranks they get the more damage they cause
to the army. Their injustice stains military prestige and spoils the
health of their soldiers. The military policy cannot be effective if
the rights of soldiers are violated. In order to make the military
policy moral, the government, the parliament and the society should
approach, analyze and control policies of the defense ministry from
the viewpoint of morality.

Azerbaijan needs a fair mechanism of commander selection so as to
have intellectual, professional and morally and psychologically
prepared officers. One of the key criteria of selection, especially
into headquarters, should be their fighting experience. As a rule,
any defense reform should start from revision of officer recruitment,
training and distribution tasks. These tasks cannot be solved without
developing military and professional skills of young officers, but,
at the same time, we should not "lose" experienced officers. We
should improve the service conditions and order, prevent the untimely
dismissal of experienced officers. Unfortunately, there are still very
many examples: Generals Talyb Mamedov and Yashar Aydamirov. It will
take us many years ahead to examine the lessons of the Karabakh war,
with all its achievements and failures. The fighting experience of
many our officers should be fully used in our army and for our army,
in the system of military and civil education, in military governance
and personnel training.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
06/14/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) UNESCO Requests Removal of Documents from Ottoman Exhibit
2) Oskanian and Sarkisian Participate in North Atlantic Council And Armenia
Meeting
3) Toronto Banquet Raises $300,000 for Armenia Fund
4) ARF Has New Parliament Member
5) Turkish Press Says Turkey is Cyprus~R ~QToy~R in EU Talks
6) New Minister Alarmed by Declining Education Standards

1) UNESCO Requests Removal of Documents from Ottoman Exhibit

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)Turkey pulled out of a Paris exhibit of Ottoman
archives last week, when organizers requested the removal of five questionable
submissions made by the Turkish Government.
Before the exhibit, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), which organized the exhibit, requested that five items
be removed and two subject to changes.
Turkey initially agreed to the request, but later decided to not partake in
the exhibit.
One of the documents in question is a letter said to be written by the heads
of Armenian organizations praising the Ottoman Government, and especially the
Sultan, for its treatment of the Armenian people.
The letter, which is dated 1898, also says that its writers pledge their
loyalty to the Ottoman Empire, despite the actions of [khankarich]s,
because of
the great pride they have in being Ottoman citizens.
UNESCO~Rs request that this and other similar documents be removed from the
archival exhibit prompted harsh reaction from nationalist circles in Turkey.
Calling the events "a shame," Turkish Institute of History (TTK) President
Professor Yusuf Halacoglu said, "Turkey acted in good faith to solve the
Armenian genocide. The cases never refer to science or honesty anymore. There
are some letters, which Armenians forwarded to the Ottoman Empire from America
and Canada, to ask for help. We are face to face with such a big shame."

2) Oskanian and Sarkisian Participate in North Atlantic Council And Armenia
Meeting

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian and Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian participated Wednesday in the North Atlantic Council
and Armenia meeting, during which they discussed Armenia~Rs Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) program with NATO based on the introductory
evaluation of NATO delegation.
Oskanian and Sarkisian presented reports at the meeting in which they
referred
to the issues on boosting Armenia-NATO cooperation and implementation of the
IPAP.
The reports of the ministers were followed by the speeches of ambassadors of
North-Atlantic Council~Rs member countries in which they assessed the Armenia~Rs
progress in the implementation of the program.
Special Representative of NATO~Rs Secretary General to the South Caucasus
Robert Simmons said in an interview after the meeting that the introductory
report on Armenia~Rs IPAP with NATO is positive.
According to him, the complete assessment of Armenia~Rs IPAP with NATO will be
given next spring.
Sarkisian said he was pleased with the positive results of the report, which
detailed the pace of Armenia~Rs Individual Partnership Action Plan
implementation.
Oskanian described the meeting as useful.

3) Toronto Banquet Raises $300,000 for Armenia Fund

Around 500 community members, members of the clergy, local and Canadian
officials came together Sunday for a banquet at the AGBU Alec Manougian Center
in Toronto, Canada, to raise $300,000 for the Armenia Fund.
During Sunday~Rs banquet, Treasurer of the Armenia Fund, Ara Boyadian,
presented a report to those present about Armenia Fund~Rs projects in
Karabagh~Rs
village of Madaghis, which the donated money will help to support.
The school in Madaghis, a three story building with eleven classrooms, a
computer room, library, and auditorium, will be completed in time for the
upcoming school year in September.
Boyajian also noted that the Toronto Armenian community has raised 2 million
dollars for the Armenia Fund.
Representing Prime Minster Stephen Harper, Jason Kenny took the podium to
speak about the recognition of the Armenian genocide by the Canadian
Government
and read a special message from Harper to the Armenia Fund.
The keynote speaker of the evening, Baroness Caroline Cox, spoke about the
freedom loving spirit of Karabagh~Rs people and its right to self
determination.
She said that the people of Karabagh have the right to live freely and
independently in their homeland. Baroness Cox also brought up the state of
Karabagh~Rs dire need of monetary and moral support.
In light of her support of Karabagh and its people, the Armenia Fund
committee
of Toronto decided to name the new school after Baroness Cox, said the Master
of Ceremonies Vahan Kololian.

4) ARF Has New Parliament Member

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenia~Rs central election commission registered
Wednesday Spartak Seyranian as a new Member of Parliament.
Spartak Seyranian, Editor-in-Chief of Yerkir Weekly and member of the
Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF), replaced Levon Mkrtchian who was appointed
education and science minister.

5) Turkish Press Says Turkey is Cyprus~R ~QToy~R in EU Talks

ANKARA (AFP)–Turkey has turned into a ~Stoy~T for Cyprus as it strives for
European Union membership, the Turkish press has said one day after the stormy
start of Ankara’s detailed entry talks with the EU.
"A rough start," wrote the left-leaning Cumhuriyet, referring to the talks,
whose beginning was delayed by objections from the internationally recognized
Greek Cypriot Government.
Cyprus wanted Turkey to recognize it as a state and open its ports to Cypriot
ships and planes–EU demands Ankara has yet to meet–before the talks begin.
The EU’s Austrian Presidency clinched a last-minute deal at a Foreign
Ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg, narrowly avoiding a new crisis for the bloc.
Several commentators harshly criticized both Cyprus for its stance and Turkey
for putting up with it.
"Turkey has turned into a toy for a country of a few hundred thousand
people,"
said a commentator Tuesday in the mass-circulation Hurriyet, calling on Ankara
to end the "mascarade."
Many newspapers stressed that Turkey would continue to face veto threats from
the Cypriot Government as the EU votes on the opening and closing of each of
the 35 detailed policy chapters to be negotiated, plus a final vote when all
the chapters are completed.
"At least 69 more crises to go with Europe," headlined the liberal Radikal.
"Cyprus will continue to be capricious on the political front until the last
minute… [inflicting] Chinese torture" on Ankara, a commentator in Milliyet,
another liberal daily, wrote, calling for action from Brussels.
"The EU should either stop the Cypriot administration from acting
capriciously
whenever and wherever it wants, or should change its rule for a unanimous vote
in order to get work done," he said.

6) New Minister Alarmed by Declining Education Standards

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The newly appointed Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian
pledged on Tuesday to embark on a sweeping reform of Armenia~Rs education
sector
to reverse what he described as an alarming post-Soviet decline in education
standards.
~SThere is a clear decline in our education sector,~T admitted Mkrtchian.
~SArmenia is gradually losing its high level of education. We used to compare
ourselves with European countries but are now being compared to Central
Asia.~T
~SIf we continue to move down this path, I am sure that we will lose the
remaining quality of our education system,~T he said.
Mkrtchian, who had already served as education minister in 1998-1999 and
2001-2003, acknowledged that he has also been responsible for the ongoing
erosion of that quality. It is widely attributed to a lack of government funds
channeled into education as well as the resulting lack of motivation among
schoolteachers and university professors. Bribery and nepotism is also seen as
a serious problem facing the sector.
Government officials have said that Armenia~Rs ongoing transition to 12-year
primary and secondary schooling, supported by Western donors, will help to
reverse this trend. But according to Mkrtchian, that reform alone will not
improve the situation unless it is accompanied by a ~Sradical revision~T of
school curricula.
The minister, who is a leading member of the governing Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, also pledged to crack down on dozens of private universities where
education standards leave much to be desired.

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"BRAND EXPO 2006" 2ND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA ON 15-17 JUNE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 13 2006

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. "Brand EXPO-2006" – the second international
universal exhibition will be held in Armenia on 15-17 June.

The Armenian exhibition company "Expomedia" reported that about 40
Armenian and foreign organizations, representing about 1150 brands,
will participate in the exhibition.

"Brand EXPO-2006" is aimed at giving a consumer an opportunity to
get acquainted both with already known and new national brands, and
an opportunity for brands to demonstrate their innovations, exchange
experiences with local organizations and find new ways for mutually
beneficial cooperation.

Thematic sections of the exhibition are "Well-known Brands in
Armenia (local and foreign), "Image and Advantages of Brand",
"PR of Organization" and "Legal Services" "Brand EXPO-2006" – the
second international exhibition will be held with the support of
the Armenian Government, Ministry of Trade and Economic Development,
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and also the National Center for
development of small and big business of Armenia.