Author: Tavakalian Edgar

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

14 July, 2008

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Launches Khashtarak School Renovation Project

Yerevan, July 10, 2008 – Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is pleased to announce
the launch of Khashtarak school renovation and refurbishment, an initiative
that was on the waiting list for priorities in Tavush region for years. The
project of around 154 million AMD is jointly financed by the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund Germany, Swiss, French affiliates and the Association of
Armenian Entrepreneurs in Germany "Armenischer Unternehmer Verein".
The German community had made this commitment prior to the Armenia Fund 2007
Telethon. "Together with all other aspects of infrastructure schools must be
upgraded so that we can reduce or remove the gap between city and village,"
had said Gilbert Momdjian, Chairman of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Affiliate of Germany at that time. "By undertaking the Khashtarak School
renovation project, the Fund has set out to provide top-notch educational
facilities in rural communities." Gilbert Momdjian who has headed the
Germany affiliate of the Hayastan fund for over fifteen years now, says he
is looking forward to seeing a rewarding school environment for teachers and
students to teach and study in.
Currently the building is undergoing dismantling and preparatory works for
the actual renovation works to start. Within the project the three and
two-storied blocks of the school building including the sport and concert
halls will undergo full restoration. Construction of a new boiler will be
accompanied with the restoration of the old one to fully meet the school
heating needs. With full gasification of the community on the way the school
will be satisfactorily heated in winter months. The area around the school
will be upgraded too. A renovated school is expected to be in place by June
2009.

The two-storied building of the school is expected to be finished before the
academic year starts in September, so that students and teachers are able to
move in until the three-storied building is completed. Currently the school
has 251 students; the renovated building is designed to accommodate another
349. So with the whole building in place, it will also accommodate students
from Lusahovit, located 8 kms away from Khashtarak.

Within the current project, the school will be fully refurbished and be in
the best position to conduct both required classes and extracurricular
activities.

Arthur Mardoyan, the project contractor (Ijevan born) says that children and
adults are truly excited that the community of around 1900 will have a new
school in the near future.

"We should expand the practice of jointly funding projects from different
sources, as this enables us to implement large-scale infrastructural
projects," the Fund’s Acting Executive Director Ara Vardanyan states.

###

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund

West suffers historic defeat as China and Russia veto Zimbabwe sanctions

The Times/UK
July 12, 2008

Robert Mugabe had faced an arms embargo and travel ban
James Bone in New York and David Robertson

Britain’s diplomatic strategy in Zimbabwe collapsed last night in an
historic defeat for the West in the UN Security Council that will have
repercussions across Africa and beyond.

Russia and China wielded their veto to kill a resolution imposing UN
sanctions on President Mugabe and his inner circle in a defining vote
in the 15-nation council.

Sir John Sawers, the British Ambassador to the UN, said: `The people of
Zimbabwe need to be given hope that there is an end in sight to their
suffering. The Security Council today has failed to offer them that
hope.’

Russia declared that it was casting its veto to prevent the council,
under the influence of Western members, from meddling in the internal
affairs of a UN member state.

`We have seen an effort to take the council beyond its charter
prerogative,’ Vitaly Churkin, the Russian Ambassador to the UN,
declared. `We believe such practices to be illegitimate and dangerous,
leading to a realignment of the UN system. This draft is nothing but
the council’s attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of a member
state.’

China, which supplies arms to Harare, said that the Zimbabwe crisis did
not con
stitute a threat to international peace and security, over which
the council had jurisdiction.

`Internationally, to use or threaten to use sanctions lightly is not
conducive to solving a problem,’ Wang Guangya, the Chinese Ambassador
to the UN, said.

Britain and the United States forced the draft resolution to a vote
because they counted on the support of the nine members needed to
secure adoption. In a dramatic show of hands, the draft did indeed earn
the requisite nine votes to pass, with five against, but was not
adopted because of Russia’s and China’s block. South Africa, Vietnam
and Libya also voted against, while Indonesia abstained.

The showdown heralds a chilling of international relations as Russia
and China resist growing UN intervention in other repressive regimes,
such as Burma, and it represents a shift in the balance of power at the
top table of diplomacy. Russia, China and developing nations are
flexing their muscles after Western dominance since the fall of the
Berlin Wall.

`China and Russia have stood with Mugabe against the people of
Zimbabwe,’ Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Ambassador, told the council. `This
resolution would have supported the courageous efforts of the
Zimbabwean people to change their lives peacefully through elections.’

The statements by Britain and the US reflected their anger days after
President Medvedev of Russia agreed a tough state ment at the G8 summit
in Japan threatening sanctions against Zimbabwe. Sir John read out the
G8 statement promising further steps, including `financial and other
measures against those individuals responsible for the violence.’ He
described the Russian action as irresponsible.

Mr Khalilzad went further, calling the Russian veto a `U-turn’ and
suggesting that it raised questions about Russia’s `reliability as a G8
partner’, hinting that it might be ejected from the elite club of
leading industrial nations.

The UN resolution would have imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and
clamped a worldwide asset freeze and travel ban on Mr Mugabe and 13 of
his henchmen accused of orchestrating election abuses in the June 27
presidential run-off vote.

It would also have required the UN to name a special representative to
act as a mediator in Zimbabwe.

Britain hoped that the resolution would step up the pressure on Mr
Mugabe and his closest aides and sideline the discredited mediation
efforts by President Mbeki of South Africa.

Last night’s defeat left British policy in disarray. `With the vetoing
of this resolution, we need to look for a new way forward,’ Sir John
said.

Even in the absence of international sanctions, a growing number of
Western companies are pulling out of Zimbabwe. Among others, Shell, the
Anglo-Dutch oil giant, has announced its withdrawal.
0D
Companies operating in Zimbabwe have been under fire for remaining in
the country and the British Government has suggested that they could be
forced to leave.

Tesco said that it would no longer source food from Zimbabwe, while
WPP, the advertising agency, is in the process of selling its business,
which is part-owned by a relative of Mr Mugabe.

Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and the mining corporations
Anglo American and Rio Tinto have decided to stay.

ARMENIA’S OFFICIAL GIVES ADVICE TO ENTRANTS

ARKA
July 11
YEREVAN

RA Deputy Minister of Education Bagrat Yesayan advises entrants to be
serious about choosing their future professions and apply to several
higher schools.

"You should not ask anyone about the lowest passing score. No one can
answer it," Yesayan said. He said that many applicants received high
marks, but they have not yet made a final choice. The passing score
depends on the number of applicants for particular faculties.

A total of 3,700 school-leavers had applied for Armenia’s higher
schools by July 10, 2008. About 13,000 school-leavers apply to
Armenia’s higher schools every year.

Most of the applicants, 1,290, are trying to enter Yerevan State
University.

As regards specialization, the largest number entrants have
applied to the Medical Business Department of Yerevan State Medical
University.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
July 10 2008

Armenian Foreign Ministry dislikes Khazar Ibrahim

10 July 2008 [17:32] – Today.Az

Tigran Balayan, chief of the office for contacts with mass media
under the department for press and information of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, accused spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khazar
Ibrahim of diplomatic tactlessness and ignorance.

"It is not the first time that he demonstrates his diplomatic
ignorance of both international law and negotiation process on
Karabakh conflict settlement", said Balayan in his statement to
Novosti-Armenia agency, regarding the recent comment of Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry’s spokesman regarding the Karabakh conflict
settlement process.

"Considering it all, the spokesman dares to comment announcements of
not only ministers but also presidents", said Balayan.

It should be noted that in his interview to Day.Az, Khazar Ibrahim
called cynicism and incomprehension of Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan surprising, as the latter said Nagorno Karabakh
conflict should be settled on the basis of paragraphs 2,4 and 8 of the
Helsinki final act of 1975.

/Day.Az/

URL:

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian Church robbed in Ramla, Israel
10.07.2008 16:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Unknown robbed an Armenian Church in Romla, Israel,
reported Yerkrmas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia.

Father Matevos said precious articles, icons and pictures of ancient
artists have been stolen.

Investigation has been initiated.

BEST EXPLANATORY BOOKLETS REWARDED BY ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK

ARKA
July 8
YEREVAN

The award ceremony of the winners of the "Best Explanatory Booklet"
prize was held at the Central Bank of Armenia.

Booklets published by a bank, loan institution or insurance company
had been considered for the contest.

HSBC Bank Armenia, ACBA Leasing loan institution and London Yerevan Co.

insurance company were the prize-winners.

CBA Vice-Chairman Vache Gabrielyan said the explanatory booklets
published by these organizations were recognized the best ones based
on four criteria: design, information providing style, contents and
comprehensibility.

Gabrielyan said in 2007 a special department was created within the
CBA system to specify methodological principles of settling problems
concerning the consumer rights and financial sphere. Besides a number
of laws focusing on improved consumer rights were adopted this year.

Vahe Vardanyan, Chief of the CBA Financial Policy and Analyses
Department, said some shortcomings, too, were found in the booklets
most of them related to insufficient information. Vardanyan said such
booklets should provide richer information year after year.

Twenty-two commercial banks, 21 loan institutions and 11 insurance
companies are currently operating in Armenia. N.H.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT: "ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR DIPLOMATS IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ABOUT NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Azeri Press Agency
July 7 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku-APA. "One of the activities of our diplomats is to increase
awareness of international community about Nagorno Karabakh conflict",
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the third Congress of
heads of diplomatic missions and consulates, APA reports.

Preparation of "Rubezh 2008′ discussed

armradio.am
04.07.2008 15:46

The working group engaged in preparing the `Rubezh 2008′ joint military
exercises to be held on the territory of the Republic of Armenia within
the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization convened a
sitting chaired by the Secretary of the National Security Council
Arthur Baghdasaryan.

A number of issues connected with the organization and conduct of the
first round of the military exercises to start in Yerevan on July 22
were discussed.

The participants of the consultations presented the preparation works
done up to now, as well as problems connected with further organization
of the military exercises.

Representatives of seven countries will participate in the drills.

Members of the working group were instructed to conduct the military
exercises on the territory of the Republic of Armenia on a proper
level.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict should be Solved through Territorial
Integrity of Azerbaijan: Czech Minister

04.07.08 11:43

Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 July / corr Trend News S.Agayeva / The Czech
Republic adheres exact position on the [Armenian-Azerbaijani]
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, urging its resolution within the framework
of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

` Czech Republic’s position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict urges
the peaceable resolution to the problem within the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,’ Karel Schvartzenberg, the Czech
foreign minister, stated in Baku on 4 July. This is the problem of
international scale, but not only of Azerbaijan, the he stressed.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

CHANGES IN MOUNT NEMRUT AREA

Turkish Daily News
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Turkey

The ruins zone around Mt. Nemrut in the southeastern city of
Adıyaman is to become a new Turkish tourism brand with the help
of the Kommagene-Nemrut Protection and Development Program. The aim
is to rearrange the environment and to cover the splits on the high
statues of gods located in the zone

GAZÄ°ANTEP – Anatolia News Agency

The ruins around Mount Nemrut in the southeastern Adıyaman province
are set to become a site for tourism, with the help of a new
development program undertaken by the tourism ministry and academics.

The Oren zone around Mount Nemrut is already on the U.N. Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Culture Heritage list,
and now, as part of the Kommagene Nemrut Protection and Development
Program, Middle East Technical University, or METU, and the Culture
and Tourism Ministry will conduct relevant research in the area until
2010, according to Neriman Å~^ahin Guchan, assistant professor in
the METU Faculty of Architecture.

Noting that the aim of the initiative is to transform the environment
and to cover the cracks on the high statues of gods located in
the ruins, Guchan said, "We prepared a project and it received
approval. Application projects are on the bids now."

MODERN SERVING HOUSE

Stating that a modern serving house will be built in the ruins area,
Guchan explained: "There is a social facility in the area to be
destroyed and transformed into a festival area. A new and modern
serving house will be built instead, including three big exhibition
halls, a lounge, souvenir shops and an audiovisual hall. Documentaries
about Mt. Nemrut will be presented in the hall. Upon arriving in
the serving house, guests will leave their cars in the parking lot,
as private cars are not allowed in the area. Instead, they will be
transported by public mini buses."

Guchan said the use of smart tokens will be very useful in terms of
monitoring the number of visitors and added that security and tour
guides will be present to prevent the monuments from being damaged.

DAMAGE ON THE STATUES

"It is not true that the statues of the Mount Nemrut are any more
damaged than any others in Turkey. When we compare the pictures
from 100 years ago, we see there is no big difference between them,"
said Guchan.

Noting that the team plans to restore the statues as part of the
program extension, Guchan explained: "We will be in Adıyaman between
July 23 and August 10. We will make our studies on how to protect
the ruins’ environment and how to repair the statues’ damage. We will
prepare a mixture and use it on the splits."

The Mount Nemrut Scientific Committee Council Meeting will be held
June 29-30 in Oren. Studies on mending the statues will be selected
by the committee members.

8th Wonder of the World

Mt. Nemrut, also known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" or "The
Throne of the Gods," lies 66 kilometers north of the town Kahta,
near Adıyaman. In 62 B.C. King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
built on the mountaintop a tomb-sanctuary flanked by huge statues
(eight to nine meters high) of himself, two lions, two eagles and
various Greek, Armenian and Persian gods and heroes, such as Hercules,
Zeus-Oromasdes (associated with the Persian god Ahura Mazda), Tyche
and Apollo-Mithras. These statues were once seated, with the name of
each god inscribed on them.

The site also preserves stone slabs with bas-relief figures that
are thought to have formed a large frieze. These stones depict the
ancestors of Antiochus, including Macedonians and Persians.

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