Author: Tumanian Talar

RA FOREIGN MINISTER: PROBLEM OF TOLERANCE IS ACUTE IN ARMENIA TODAY

arminfo
2008-02-25 12:59:00

ArmInfo. The problem of tolerance is especially acute in Armenia
today and is more than vital, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
said today at the international conference "Problems of Tolerance and
Xenophobia in the South Caucasus Region, Challenges to Establishment
of Peace and Trust" in Yerevan, dedicated to the 20th anniversary
of he Armenian pogroms in the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait. The
foreign minister said that the problems, marked by the conference
organizers, should be viewed in three plains: Armenia, region and
global scale. Unfortunately, the problem of tolerance has become
vital for Armenia today, as the society turned out to be split
during the election campaign and the post-election processes, and
there was a struggle not among the ideologies but between the past
and the present. It has already been several days a group of people
demonstrates intolerance at Liberty Square in Yerevan, meanwhile,
under conditions of the challenges facing the country, "we have no
right to split the society into ours and aliens", V.Oskanyan said. He
expressed hope that the party, which lost at the election, will show
courage and "offer its hand" to the election winners.

Touching upon the situation with tolerance and xenophobia in a global
scale, V. Oskanyan said that the world faces such demonstrations
from a "small scale" to organization of Genocides. This is an
evil the whole mankind fights against, and Armenia should become
a flag-bearer in this fight, as these demonstrations undoubtedly
leave a trace on such small countries as Armenia. He emphasized that,
in view of the events around Kosovo, when the whole world community
talks of the right of nations for self-determination, a parallel with
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is inevitable. "In view of this, today’s
onference is more than urgent. You see, f not the events in Sumgait,
the whole process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement could follow another
way. Nagorno Karabakh has to show that there is and can be no return
to the previous status", V.Oskanyan said.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: I WILL STAY IN FREEDOM SQUARE UNTIL I MOVE TO PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 24, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "Let Serge Sargsian and Robert
Kocharian give up their hopes that our ranks will decrease in Freedom
Square: I will stay here until I move to the presidential residence,"
the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian stated at the February
24 mass rally in Freedom Square.

In his words, "there is nothing dangerous behind the arrests of Gagik
and Vardan Jhangirian, Smbat Aivazian and Aram Karapetian, which were
made yesterday and today according to Hollywood combat film scenarios:
the purpose of all this is to frighten us". He said that the arrested
persons are now kept by law enforces, "in reliable hands".

The rally participants organized a procession of protest against
these arrests along central streets of Yerevan.

AGHVAN HOVSEPIAN SENT A PETITION TO THE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ON RELIEVING GAGIK JANGIRIAN OF DEPUTY GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S POSITION

Mediamax
February 22, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian
sent a petition to the President of the Republic on relieving Gagik
Jangirian of the position of a Deputy Prosecutor General and expelling
him from prosecutor’s offices.

Mediamax reports that the press service of the General Prosecutor’s
Office noted that "the Armenian law "on Prosecutor’s Office" forbids
the public prosecutors to involve in politics".

"Gagik Jangirian grossly violated the requirements of the law and the
Prosecutor General sent a petition to the President of the Republic
on relieving Gagik Jangirian of the position occupied by him and
expelling him from prosecutor’s offices", the press service of the
Prosecutor General of Armenia noted.

AMOUNT OF ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS THROUGH CBA PAYMENT SYSTEMS GROWS BY 47.8% IN 2007 AS COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Feb 21, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Most of payments through the payment
systems of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) in 2007 were made through
the electronic payment system. The electronic payments of the system’s
participants made up 65.3% of the total amount of payments and 96.3%
of the total number on average.

According to the CBA press service, the amount of electronic payments
grew by 47.8% (1 trillion 855 bln drams or over 5 bln 422.7 mln
USD), while their number increased by 33.7% (340,231 payments) as
compared with 2006. The payments made by commercial banks through
the electronic payment system (without transfers related to stock
exchange operations) made up about 56% of the amount of transfers
carried out by commercial banks (growing by 442 bln drams), while
their number made up nearly 99%.

The average daily number of money transfers through the electronic
payment system grew by 1,329 as compared with 2006 and made 5,273,
while their amount increased by 7 bln 248 mln drams to 22 bln 412 mln
drams. The average daily amount of transfers related to implementation
of stock exchange operations made 7 bln 115 mln drams.

The average amount of an electronic transfer through the electronic
payment system (without transfers related to implementation of stock
exchange operations) grew by 0.5 mln drams as compared with 2006
and made 2.9 mln drams. The average amount of transfers related
to implementation of stock exchange operations and carried out by
commercial banks through the electronic payment system made 225 mln
drams, growing by 28 mln drams.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan: I voted for freedom

2008-02-19 13:26:00

ArmInfo. ‘I have voted for freedom’, RA presidential contender, first
President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan told journalists today after voting
at the election precinct 9.11.

"I have voted for freedom", L. Ter-Petrosyan said. He also said that he has
information about numerous violations fixed during the voting. "I am aware
of thousands specific facts", L. Ter-Petrosyan said and added that he
intends to gain a victory even in the first rounds of the voting.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 18 2008

RA FM: ARMENIA’S AUTHORITIES DID THEIR BEST TO ENSURE FREE AND
TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS OF REPUBLIC PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, 18.02.08. DE FACTO. RA authorities have undertaken all the
necessary measures to ensure free and transparent elections of the
Republic President, RA FM Vardan Oskanian stated on February 16 at a
meeting with CIS Executive Secretary Sergey Lebedev.
According to the information DE FACTO received at the RA MFA Press
Office, while speaking of the pre-election processes and campaign in
Armenia Sergey Lebedev, who heads the CIS observation mission at the
Presidential elections to be held in RA, had noted he was impressed
by the transparency of political processes and opportunities afforded
by Armenia’s legislation.
In the course of the meeting the parties also exchanged view
concerning cooperation within the CIS frames.

BIA, Turkey
Feb 17 2008

FIDH: `Turkey Must End Impunity of Political Violence

‘Following a mission in Turkey on the occasion of the third hearing
of the Hrant Dink murder trial, the FIDH published a report on 13
February, calling for action on human rights.

FIDH

17-02-2008

The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
undertook a mission in Istanbul from February 9 to 11, 2008, on the
occasion of the third hearing of the Hrant Dink murder trial.

Hrant Dink, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian
weekly Agos newspaper, was shot dead in front of his office on 19
January 2007. This mission was deployed in follow-up to FIDH’s
mobilisation alongside Hrant Dink’s family and lawyers, and in
support of their struggle for justice.

Following the third hearing, FIDH welcomes the filming of the
proceedings, as transparency is an essential element to guarantee the
fairness of the procedure. Nevertheless, FIDH Secretary General
Florence Bellivier has called on the Turkish authorities « to ensure
full access to the documents related to the case to the lawyers of
Dink’s family, in particular the results of the investigation into
the behaviour of State security agents ».

Satisfaction at Ergenekon operation, and Malatya and Santoro trials
Meanwhile, FIDH has expressed its satisfaction following the arrest,
on January 22nd, and the opening of a judicial investigation against
a group of ultra-nationalist individuals said to be members of the
illegal paramilitary group Ergenekon. Among them is Veli Kücük, a
retired general of the Turkish army.

Without prejudice to the results of the investigation, FIDH welcomes
the opening of proceedings against individuals whose names have
appeared repeatedly in a number of cases of political violence,
notably the murder of Hrant Dink, the massacre of a Christian pastor
and two of his practitioners in Malatya on April 18th 2007, and the
killing of a Catholic priest on February 4th 2006 in Trabzon.

`FIDH hopes that these investigations will enable the determination
of higher levels of responsibility in the instigation of these
crimes, and break the cycle of political violence,’ said Secretary
General Florence Bellivier.

Beyond the trial, the mission was an opportunity to discuss several
of the main human rights violations that Turkey is facing today. In
this respect, FIDH wishes to highlight the following:

The Kurdish Question
FIDH and its Turkish member organisation, the Human Rights
Association (IHD), express their deep concern about continuing human
rights violations in the South-Eastern provinces. The organisations
are particularly concerned with the bombing of civilian areas, in
violation of fundamental principles of international human rights and
humanitarian law. The organisations repeat their call to the
authorities for a political and peaceful settlement of the Kurdish
question, and urge the government to open talks with Kurdish
organisations and civil society in this respect.

Freedom of opinion and expression.
FIDH has repeated its call for the abolition of Article 301 of the
Penal Code. Freedom of expression should not be criminalised and
Turkey should conform with the recommendations addressed by all UN
special rapporteurs and treaty bodies in this respect. Newspapers
such as Free-Agenda (Özgür Gündem), documenting the situation of
Kurdish or other minorities as well as the consequences of the
conflict in the South-East, should be able to publish their stories.

Situation of human rights defenders
FIDH is worried about the continuous harassment of human rights
defenders, intellectuals and journalists who promote human rights. As
documented by the Observatory for the protection of human rights
defenders (FIDH-OMCT), Ethem Acikalin, the Chair of IHD’s section in
Adana, as well as the former chair and an administrator of the Ankara
section remain under arbitrary detention. FIDH calls for their
immediate release.

FIDH further remains concerned about the judicial harassment against
the Vice-President of the IHD, Reyhan Yalcindag, the pending court
case to close down the Mersin section of IHD in southern Turkey, as
well as about the prosecution of members of the National Commission
on Human Rights, Professors Ibrahim Kaboglu and Baskin Oran, for
having published a report on minorities in Turkey. FIDH calls for the
suspension of all charges in these trials.

Counter-terrorism and human rights, use of torture
FIDH is finally worried about information reported by another Turkish
member organisation, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV), on
the broad and vague definition of the acts defined under the
Anti-terror Act, in violation of the principle of legality of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The organisations further deplore the continuous use of torture with
impunity and the light sentences resulting from the few
condemnations. They call upon the Turkish authorities to comply with
the recommendations of the UN Independent Expert on counter-terrorism
and human rights, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
(FIDH/AG)

A guidebook on Armenia, in which Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned as a
part of Armenia, on sale in Great Britain

2008-02-17 16:00:00

ArmInfo. The Bradt Travel Guides Publishing House (Great Britain) has
issued a guidebook on Armenia, in which Nagorno-Karabakh is actually
mentioned as a part of Armenia, without any reference of belonging (at
least formally) to Azerbaijan.

As Day.az reports, the book by Nicholas Holding, a Scottish electrical
engineer, is entitled "Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh". The guidebook
has several maps on which the names "Armenia", "Nagorno-Karabakh" and
"Azerbaijan" are of the same printing type, and this gives travellers
an impression of three different and at the same time equitable states
existing side by side. The page comprising the contents also has the
image of Armenia’s line map, which "smoothly and easily" includes
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Lachin and Kalbajar regions of Azerbaijan.

Policy Forum Armenia
1250 I Street N.W., Suite 710
Washington, D.C. 20005, USA
Contact: Irina Alaverdyan
Tel: 240-855-6255
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Press Release

On February 14, a new page was turned and a new chapter opened with the
launch of Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), an independent professional
non-profit association aimed at strengthening discourse on Armenia’s
economic development and national security. In both substance and form,
PFA transcends the traditional bounds of Diasporan involvement in
Armenia’s nation-building process. Through its hybrid operations as a
think tank and advocacy group, PFA aims to help shape public policy in
Armenia by offering alternative views and professional analysis on
various issues pertaining to Armenia’s economic welfare and national
security, culminating in innovative and practical recommendations.

The organization’s main asset is its worldwide network of professionals
and leaders who are dedicated to bringing about a new brand of
involvement in Armenia’s development in their respective fields. While
historically the Diaspora has focused on philanthropic endeavors, PFA
intends to help Armenia bring about self-sustaining change through the
creation of an informed public and more effective and accountable
government. Just a glimpse at the impressive assemblage of diverse
professionals and leaders that comprise PFA suffices to demonstrate the
magnitude of this organization’s potential reach.

Some of the major issues that PFA aims to tackle include (but are not
limited to) Human Rights in Armenia, Armenia-Diaspora relations,
Financial development in Armenia, Environmental issues and U.S.-Armenia
relations. PFA divides its projects among members who have the education
and real-world experience necessary to achieve a practical, working
solution to the aforementioned issues facing the Republic of Armenia.

The State of the Nation Report is PFA’s flagship product. To be
published bi-annually, the State of the Nation Report will provide a
critical assessment of processes taking place in Armenia and offer
recommendations on key policy issues. This comprehensive report will
analyze and constructively criticize all of the issues mentioned above
in hopes of improving pertinent aspects of public policy, cultural
issues and international relations. The State of the Nation Report will
be geared toward a readership consisting of government officials,
businessmen and all other public figures who have a stake in the
political and economic growth of Armenia.

PFA hopes to work with the Armenian government along with the private
sector in an effort to resolve problems surrounding the economic
conditions, social developments and international relations facing
Armenia. With a dedicated group of capable intellectuals and
professionals, PFA just may be the forum that helps Armenia achieve its
full potential.

For more information please visit our website at

Reuters AlertNet, UK
Feb 15 2008

Vulnerable Armenian children to thrive after graduation

15 Feb 2008 22:20:42 GMT

Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)

Some 300 vulnerable children will be equipped to earn a living after
they graduate high school as a result of 19 professional classes now
offered at three boarding schools for vulnerable children in
Armenia’s capital Yerevan. The establishment of these classes is the
outcome of World Vision’s advocacy efforts and close cooperation with
the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia.

World Vision promotes professional education in all special
institutions operating in Armenia by advocating for the establishment
of professional classes for high school students.

‘Professional classes are of prior importance, especially for high
school students who will have to earn a living by themselves after
they graduate,’ says Anahit Grigoryan, child protection programmes
coordinator, World Vision Armenia.

‘Through professional classes we seek to secure future employment for
the children, as well as to broaden their worldview,’ says Ms.
Grigoryan.

The boarding schools mostly enroll children who have one or even both
parents, but their families are unable to provide for them. More than
11,000 children live in Armenia’s special institutions, including 900
children who live in state orphanages, according to a UNICEF report
in 2006.

The professional classes run with World Vision support include
sewing, ceramics, and hairdressing for girls; and culinary and
shoe-repair classes for boys. World Vision also supports extra
curriculum classes in which students can learn activities such as
football.

Alongside with professional classes World Vision organizes study
tours to well-known companies and international organizations to
motivate children in their pursuit of a better future.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not
of Reuters. ]