Author: Toneyan Mark

European Court of Human Rights sentences Turkey to a monetary fine of EUR 12,000

Panorama.am
12:12 21/05/2010

Society

USA citizen Norma Cox was repeatedly expelled from Turkey in the
1980s because she was seen as a "danger to the national security"
due to her religious activities. The European Court of Human Rights
decreed that the entry ban interfered with the right to freedom of
expression and convicted Turkey.

The European Court of Human Rights considered that the ban on
re-entering Turkey imposed on the applicant on account of her previous
conversations with students and colleagues constituted an interference
with her rights under Article 10, disregarding the fact that the right
to freedom of expression was guaranteed without distinction between
nationals and foreigners, thus, sentenced Turkey to a monetary fine
of ~@ 12,000 in compensation, Milliyet reported.

Having worked as a lecturer at two Turkish universities during the
1980s, she was expelled and banned from re-entering the country by
order of the Ministry of the Interior in 1986 on account of statements
she had made before students and colleagues on Kurdish and Armenian
issues. After returning to Turkey later, she was arrested in 1989 while
distributing leaflets protesting against the film The Last Temptation
of Christ, and subsequently expelled again. When leaving Turkey after
a visit in 1996, an entry was made in her passport stating that she
was banned from entering. She has been unable to return to Turkey
since then.

ARMROSGAZPROM INVESTMENTS TO TOTAL AMD 9.5BLN IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 21, 2010 – 16:23 AMT 11:23 GMT

On May 21, the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia
approved an investment program of ArmRosGazprom CJSC for 2010-2012,
the company’s press service reported.

Head of the Department of Investment Programs of ArmRosGazprom
Ashot Hakobyan noted that the investment program is prepared with
consideration of the current post-crisis situation and new tariffs
for natural gas approved by the PSRC.

"The program basically aims to secure uninterrupted gas supply in
Armenia and improve security. The program also features principal
trends of gas-transport and gas-distributing systems’ development,
as well as forecasts amounts of required investments and expected
results," the company said.

The total amount of the investment program for 2010-2012 will reach AMD
24.2 bln (without VAT), out of which 9.5bln will be invested in 2010.

According to PSRC representative Abgar Budaghyan, the gas tariffs
will increase no more than AMD 1 / 1 cub. m of gas (including VAT)
as a result of investments in 2010.

AMENDMENTS AND ADDENDA TO LAW ON TELEVISION AND RADIO PROPOSED BY GOVERNMENT PASSED IN FIRST READING

NOYAN TAPAN
MAY 21, 2010
YEREVAN

The RA National Assembly on May 20 in the first reading adopted
amendments and addenda to the law On Television and Radio proposed
by the government, which proceed from the conception of radio and
television broadcasting digitization in the RA territory.

According to the bill, on July 20, 2010 the National Commission of
Television and Radio will announce a licensing tender for 18 TV
broadcastors. There are 22 operating TV channels at present. The
winners will be given a licence for 10 years, from January 20, 2011.

The period until July 20, 2013 will be time of passing from analogue
to digital broadcasting.

According to the bill, 9 TV channels of republican and Yerevan coverage
with thematic direction will broadcast by the digitial network. They
are two TV channels of the Public TV and Radio Company (1 of general
direction, 1 spiritual-cultural), 5 private TV channels of general
direction, 1 private TV channel of general direction, 1 rebroadcasting
TV channel.

There will be 4 rebroadcasting TV channels and 5 private TV channels
in Yerevan, 1 of them for entertainment, 1 for youth, 1 musical,
1 for children and youth, scientific, educational, cognitive, 1,
international and local information-analytical.

The parliamentary opposition, Heritage and ARFD faction members voted
down the bill. The day before, at the end of the discussion of this
disputable bill, the NA Speaker said that the bill does not solve
essential problems of passing to digitization. He proposed holding
parliamentary hearings with participation of all interested sides
after adoption of the bill in the first reading.

GOLDEN APRICOT 7TH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN JULY 11-18
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
20.05.2010 16:52

The Golden Apricot 7th International Film Festival will be held
in Armenia July 11-18 with the support of the Armenian Ministry of
Culture and the financial assistance of VivaCell MTS.

This year 500 applications have been received from 75 countries,
including Jordan, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Costa Rica, etc. The films
will compete in three categories: international live-action movie,
international documentary and Armenian panorama.

Director of the Festival Harutyun Khachatryan says the Golden Apricot
will start with the screening of Henri Verneuil’s "Mayrik" (Mother).

Special events will be organized within the framework of the festival
dedicated to renowned Diaspora Armenian film directors Henri Verneuil’s
90th and Atom Egoyan’s 50th jubilee.

A special Russian program will be dedicated to the 65th anniversary
of the Victory in the Greta Patriotic War.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS FAILING IN US

Tert.am
20.05.10

The 6th tour of the US Chess Championship is in full swings with the
Armenian players showing poor performance.

The only player that still has the chance to secure a prize is Varoujan
Hakobyan, reports local Armenian news website Armsport.am.

6th tour

Varoujan Hakobyan – Ermolinsky 0.5-0.5 Gurevich D. – Melikset
Khachikyan 0.5-0.5 Levon Altunyan – Hess 0-1

ACCORDING TO IMF REPRESENTATIVE, ALTHOUGH ECONOMIC CONDITIONS NOT GOOD YET, ARMENIAN ECONOMY GRADUALLY RECOVERS

NOYAN TAPAN
MAY 19, 2010
YEREVAN

The Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received on May 19 the Head of
the Economic Mission of the International Monetary Fund to Armenia Mark
Lewis and the IMF Resident Representative to Armenia Guillermo Tolosa.

"I am glad to see you in Armenia again. I have been informed that you
had efficient and profound discussions with the government and the
Central Bank of Armenia. I know that the discussions are over, and
our government has come to an agreement with your mission regarding
a program based on specific agreements. I think that 2010 will be
quite an active year in terms of Armenia’s economic recovery, at
least the data of the first four months bears evidence of that. At
the same time, this year we should be able to work most actively in
order to continue our reforms," the president said.

M. Lewis informed the president about the agreements that the IMF
has reached with the Armenian government.

The interlocutors discussed the steps aimed at developing the Armenian
economy and the main directions of the economic policy. In the words
of M. Lewis, although the economic conditions are not good yet,
the Armenian economy is gradually recovering: the financial sector
of the country is strong, the state funds are efficiently managed,
and the amount of foreign remittances is increasing.

The press service of the RA president reported that the sides also
discussed issues related to inflation control, improvement of the
business environment, and poverty reduction.

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA COMBATS OBSCURANTISM IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 17, 2010 – 16:04 AMT 11:04 GMT

On May 18, a meeting-discussion between young people and Hayk Demoyan
will be held at the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute.

Yerevan Office of the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly), jointly
with Youth NGO, will hold a meeting-discussion with Director of the
Armenian Genocide Museum Institute, Hayk Demoyan, on May 18.

"Being concerned over the ongoing denial of the first Genocide in
the 21st century by some countries, the Assembly’s Yerevan Office
provides young people with the opportunity to familiarize themselves
with scientific researches, facts and exclusive exhibits, as well as to
ask questions to specialists and finally put an end to obscurantism,"
the Assembly said in a statement.

STATE SCHOOL IS THE SCHOOL OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE STATE

Aysor
May 17 2010
Armenia

"All our intellectuals who have received their general education in
the Armenian environment in collages after which has almost without
exception continued his education in France, Germany, Petersburg,
etc.," the translator said during the meeting with the journalists
said writer, translater Hakob Movses.

"All the nations all over the world receive their education in their
mother tongue, the Armenian intellectual who doesn’t know his mother
tongue is illiterate," the speaker stressed.

According to him the Armenian man, Armenian intellectual is illiterate
also if he is not integrated into the international culture,
international civilization.

The solution of these two approaches should be reached, Hakob Movses
thinks, but as he assures "The State school is the school of the
language of the State; all the other languages are secondary."
Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
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From: Katia Peltekian <[email protected]>
Subject: State school is the school of the language of the State

Aysor, Armenia
May 17 2010

â??State school is the school of the language of the Stateâ??

â??All our intellectuals who have received their general education in
the Armenian environment in collages after which has almost without
exception continued his education in France, Germany, Petersburg,
etc.,â?? the translator said during the meeting with the journalists
said writer, translater Hakob Movses.

â??All the nations all over the world receive their education in their
mother tongue, the Armenian intellectual who doesnâ??t know his mother
tongue is illiterate,â?? the speaker stressed.

According to him the Armenian man, Armenian intellectual is illiterate
also if he is not integrated into the international culture,
international civilization.

The solution of these two approaches should be reached, Hakob Movses
thinks, but as he assures â??The State school is the school of the
language of the State; all the other languages are secondary.â??

DAYS OF ARMENIAN CULTURE IN SIENNA, ITALY

ARMENPRESS
MAY 17, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS: Days of the Armenian Culture are
intended to be held autumn in Sienna, Italy. An official from the
Public Relations office of RA Culture Ministry told Armenpress that
the Days of the Armenian Culture will be organized by ‘Ducci’ cultural
foundation. ‘Ducci’ foundation organizes cultural projects of a number
of other countries every year in Sienna. Days of Armenia will be held
under the title ‘Meetings with European Culture: Armenia’. The Armenian
fine arts and music will be represented in Sienna. The details of the
project were discussed at the meeting of RA Culture Minister Hasmik
Poghosyan, the Italian Ambassador to Armenia Bruno Scapini and the
Director of the ‘Ducci’ cultural foundation Paolo Ducci. The Italian
guests have arrived in Armenia lately for getting acquainted with
the Armenian cultural heritage and the modern art.

A COOPERATION CONTRACT SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND BELARUSIAN NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES

ARMENPRESS
MAY 17, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS: A cooperation contract was signed today
between the Armenian and Belarusian National Academies of Sciences.

The document was signed by Chairman of the Armenian National Academy
of Sciences Radik Martirosyan and Michael Myasnikovitch, chairman of
the Belarusian NAS.

R. Martirosyan noted that the cooperation between the two countries
has a tradition of many years; the cooperation between the two
academies has started still in the 1980s, when the Armenian scientific
delegation signed a contract with the Belarusian scientific center
in Minsk. "Though that cooperation was frozen later, but separate
scientific-research centers continue to implement joint projects.

Currently the cooperation requires a new status and approaches,"
he said.

The Belarusian party is more interested in the Armenian scientific
activity in the spheres of archeology, atomic energy and materialism,
and the Armenian scientific society will have an opportunity
of getting acquainted with Belarusian information technologies,
astronomic researches.

The chairman of the National Academy of Sciences said that Armenia
is greatly interested in the process of trading the results of the
science, and organization of science.

"The Belarusian party has quite a great experience in this area in
regard to involving new ideas in the economy and registering a result.

One of our primary goals is to get acquainted with that process,
especially that we face certain difficulties in that sphere," he added.

M. Myasnikovitch, chairman of the Belarusian National Academy of
Sciences, underscored that they have many achievements in the spheres
of information, biotechnologies and astronomic researches. "The
Belarusian NAS has a high reputation in the European scientific
environment, and we have managed to register such results thanks to
the direct attention of the head of our country. Our academy, too,
has experiences crisis in the 1990s, but afterward we registered
achievements in the sphere thanks to that support," he said.

M. Myasnikovitch thoroughly presented the structure of their academy,
the quantity and general budget of the scientific employees. It was
noted that the scientific center which is comprised of 7 departments
has 3 scientific-research centers, but over 10 scientific-research
centers are operating in the country. A number of the projects of
the Belarusian Academy are implemented by the NATO, US Fund for Civil
Researches and a number of other structures. He expressed hope that
the cooperation with Armenia will lay a platform for implementation
of joint projects.

After the signing ceremony, the chairmen of the two academies gave
medals and souvenirs to each other.