Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
By Nana Petrosian, Translated by K.A.

AZG Armenian Daily #167
14/09/2007

Many classes have been closed in the regions of Armenia for the lack
of pupils. Only in Syunik 150 classes were closed, while the number of
the elementary school decreased by 1500 this year. Heghine Bisharian,
member of RA National Assembly, said this yesterday. In response,
Levon Mkrtchian, Ra Culture and Education Minister, said that special
faculties for training of the currently working teachers have been
opened at the relevant universities of Armenia, to secure a higher
level of specialization for them and to avert loss of teachers.

from the September 14, 2007 edition –

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Rising violence in Russia’s Ingushetia

Faced with insurgency, federal forces are cracking down in the
northern Caucasus republic.

By Fred Weir | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

Moscow

Violence is spiking in Russia’s southern republic of Ingushetia, as
almost daily attacks against police, officials, and ethnically
non-Ingush residents have some experts fearful that the tiny region
could quickly destabilize.

Through two post-Soviet wars between Russian forces and separatists in
neighboring Chechnya, Ingushetia has remained loyal to Moscow. But
now, assaults against federal forces in the republic are on the rise.

A month ago Moscow tripled its security forces in Ingushetia in
response to a wave of attacks by insurgents that hit the motorcade of
President Murat Zyazikov, a local headquarters of Russia’s FSB
security service, and a column of Russian troops. Mr. Zyazikov, a
former FSB general, escaped unharmed, but a top aide and several
soldiers were killed. In response, federal forces have launched a
security crackdown that some experts warn could precipitate mass
rebellion.

"What makes this situation so dangerous is that the federal forces
… are killing randomly and calling the victims terrorists," says
Yulia Latynina, one of the few investigative journalists still
reporting on the northern Caucasus. "An uprising is drawing near."

The Moscow-based international human rights group Memorial, nominated
for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, says at least 400 people
disappeared without a trace in Ingushetia between 2002 and 2006, and
the pace of repression has since accelerated. "How can we talk about
human rights if security forces can burst into private houses at night
and seize peaceful people, and can stop a person at night on a street
to beat or even to kill without ever presenting any identification
document or without presenting any charges?" says Memorial activist
Usam Baisayev, reached by phone in Nazran, Ingushetia.

One eyewitness account in an August report by Memorial detailed such
treatment after the FSB office was attacked. Evloev Yakhya, a resident
of Ali-Yurt, said men in camouflage broke into his house at dawn,
dragged his wife from the bathroom at gunpoint, and forced him to the
floor, kicking him. "They shouted, ‘You killed our guys … shooting
came from your village … you will pay for it," he recounted. "They
did not even look into my passport. They threw it on the ground."

When asked about human rights abuses in Ingushetia, Alexei Volkov, a
deputy in the State Duma and a member of the Security Committee, told
the Monitor, "I know nothing about that…. Nobody has complained to
the Duma."

Anonymous gunmen have carried out at least four attacks against
non-Ingush families and shepherds in the past two months, which
Russian media blame on Arab jihadists trying to trigger an even
tougher security response from Moscow. The Moscow daily Vremya
Novostei, quoting intelligence sources, reported this week that Al
Qaeda emissaries are active in Ingushetia, training insurgents and
paying up to $5,000 per attack. Other experts say it’s likely that
international jihadists are exploiting the situation, but that they
are not driving it.

"Our special services like to make declarations about ties between the
organizers of some of these actions and global terrorism," says Andrei
Soldatov, editor of the online journal Agentura.ru, which monitors the
secret services. "But the real roots of the problems in Ingushetia are
local."

Russian authorities blame the republic’s destabilization on "outside
forces," including an armed incursion led by Chechen rebel warlord
Doku Umarov. "I believe these provocative actions constitute an
attempt by certain forces in Russia and abroad to turn Ingushetia into
a scene for reaching some of their narrow objectives," Ingush
president Zyazikov told the independent Interfax agency last
week. "Someone is very unhappy that Ingushetia is on the road to
development."

But others blame Moscow for replacing Ingushetia’s popular leader,
Ruslan Aushev, with Zyazikov in dubious 2002 elections. "Zyazikov,
compared to Ingushetia’s previous leader, is rooted in Moscow, not
Ingushetia," says Alexander Iskanderyan, director of the independent
Center for Caucasian Studies in Yerevan, Armenia. "He has no local
authority."

Chechnya appears to have been pacified under Kremlin-appointed
president Ramzan Kadyrov, whom experts say has imposed a harsh but
predictable order. Last week Mr. Kadyrov offered to help Ingushetia
restore peace.

"Kadyrov is running Chechnya better than the federal forces are
running Ingushetia," says Ms. Latynina. "At least he kills with
purpose, not randomly." She adds that Moscow, increasingly fearful of
Kadyrov’s growing power in Chechnya, is unlikely to give him a free
hand to intervene in Ingushetia.

But the crisis in Ingushetia is growing fast, and the Kremlin’s
dilemma along with it.

"The difference between Chechnya and Ingushetia is that Chechnya
wanted to separate from Russian while Ingushetia was an absolutely
pro-Russian republic," says Mr. Baisayev. "But [today] the very same
people who were loyal to Russia under Aushev’ s rule are now ready to
take to arms and struggle against Russia.

Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.

NUMBER OF LEADERS GROW

A1+
[12:49 pm] 12 September, 2007

During the 4-th tour of World Chess International Tournament in Karlovy
Vary city in the Czech Republic the Armenia chess grandmaster Vladimir
Hakobyan tied the meeting with David Navara who was representing the
Czech Republic.

Sergey Movsisyan who represented Slovakia also tied the meeting with
Shirov Aleksey. The meeting of Yan Timan and Victor Laznichka ended
in a tie as well.

Ruslan Ponomaryov defeated Victor Korchnoy playing with black chess
figures. After his success Ponomaryov became equal to Vladimr Hakobyan,
Sergey Movsisyan and Yan Timan. Now the grandmasters have got 2.5
scores each.

Vladimir Hakobyan is to play with Ruslan Ponomaryov with black chess
pieces in the 5-th tour. David Navara is to compete with Sergey
Movsisyan.

ARMENIA CLAIMS WORLD LEADERSHIP IN GASIFICATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2007 14:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Given the ArmRosgazprom’s activities, Armenia’s
savings in the transport sector amount to $180-200 million while the
population saves some $300 million, ArmRosgazprom Director General
Karen Karapetian said at today’s meeting of the company’s shareholders
dedicated to ArmRosgazprom 10th birthday.

ArmRosgazprom’s strategic aim is to establish an energy gas company
of regional significance and secure its participation in local and
foreign energy projects, he said.

"The company’s investments totaled $110 during recent ten years. This
figure presents ArmRosgazprom as one of major depositors in Armenia’s
economy. The gasification program is supposed to be accomplished by
the end of 2007. However, to date Armenia claims leadership not only
among the CIS member countries but also in the world. Armenia has
succeeded in creating favorable conditions for attracting capitals,"
Karen Karapetian said adding that GazpromBank is expected to enter
the Armenian financial market in the near future.

REPORT FROM AZERBAIJANI GAZAKH REGION’S VILLAGES BORDERING ON ARMENIA

Azeri Press Agency
[ 11 Sep 2007 16:29 ]

Armenian armed forces fire on the houses and roads in Gazakh region
Mezem village almost every day, the village residents told APA’s
local bureau. The people said they are obliged to live in parts of
the houses to protect themselves from bullets. Mezem is one of the
villages in the west of Azerbaijan which borders on Armenia. About 40
families are living in the village located in 100 meters from the posts
of Armenian armed forces. The people were obliged to set up barricades
from sacks of stone and sand to protect themselves from bullets. Bullet
holes on the doors prove that the village is often fired by Armenians.

As there is very little distance between Armenian posts and the village
Armenians do not only fire on the village. The village residents say
that the Armenians knowing the Azeri language abuse them and demand
them to leave the lands. The residents’ response to these insults
result in Armenians’ firing on the village by machine, submachine
guns and snipers. Resident of Mezem, 70-year old Asli Nasibova,
whose house is opposite to Armenian post told APA’s correspondent
that they are afraid of the enemy’s firing every moment.

"When Armenians start firing we have to find a shelter. The bullets
damaged the first floor of the house. We have constructed the house,
but have not yet used its upper part. Once Armenians killed our cattle.

We will die but not leave our houses. Despite of all difficulties,
no one has left the village. Armenians insult mullahs and Koran every
time they hear Koran read at funerals. The people of bordering villages
Mezem, Gushchu Ayrim and Ferehli support one another.

Mezem is Azerbaijan’s fence. If we leave here, Armenians will damage
Mezem," he said.

The other village resident who is living near Armenian post whose
child Ahmed Nasibov was National Hero said that Armenians are coward.

"Armenians became wild sometimes and began to fire.

They stop firing after response fire of our army. They fire at the
village mostly with machine and submachine guns. They also fire on
our cattle. Sometimes representatives of international organizations
visit the village. They get acquainted with our condition.

But the Armenians did not fire the village when they were here. But
they started to fire as soon as they left the village," he said.

The residents said that Armenians started to fire on Mezem village
fewer within last month. It is linked with their gathering grain.

"They will start firing and arsons as soon as they finish gathering
corps. It is repeated every year," he said.

Armenians set fire to Gazakh’s border villages with Armenia from
early September. Armenians started their arsons mostly in the occupied
Gizilhajili and Askipara villages of Gazakh. Mazam resident Gahraman
Yusifov said that scale of arsons committed in Gizilhajili is great.

"Armenians set fire to Gizilhajili and pastures after they finished
planting. The animals fled to our village from the fire," he said.

The residents said that the fire covered the occupied mined territories
and 25 mines blasted interruptedly.

If the fire covers the territories controlled by Azerbaijani Armed
Forces, the soldiers prevent it.

ALEXANDER ARZUMANYAN IS PERSECUTED

A1+
[08:08 pm] 10 September, 2007

"Once I was a political prisoner while now I am persecuted. Only
the restraint has been replaced," said Armenian Ex-Foreign Minister
Alexander Arzumanyan, the initiator of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

To remind, Arzumanyan was released from the isolation ward of the
National Security Service on September 6.

The preventive punishment was his signature not to leave
Armenia. Arzumanyan was charged with "money laundering."

Alexander Arzumanyan was set free four months after his arrest when
the report on the investigation of his case was submitted to Aghvan
Hovsepyan.

The Armenian ex-foreign minister says both his arrest and release are
manifestations of arbitrariness in Armenia. "There was no case. There
were no criminal charges. I must restore my reputation. They pinned
labels on me. The prosecutor states to the country that there was a
crime, the National Security Service only needs to prove that Sashik
Aghazaryan’s money is illegal. In other words, they only need to do
what is needed to consider and suspect someone of money laundering. In
other words, it shows that they took me to the isolation ward four
months ago for nothing, and put up a case," Alexander Arzumanyan says.

Alexander Arzumanyan says he will have everyone apologize to him. "I
expect the apology of everyone who was involved in this case, who
instructed and who fulfilled the instructions. Let them tell me who
was involved in my illegal arrest and apologize to me," Alexander
Arzumanyan says.

Arzumanyan thinks both his arrest and release are the problem of the
people who gave instructions. He does not know yet why he was arrested
and what they feared.

"If they arrested on a put-up charge, they were afraid of something. If
I am a political figure who scares some people, I am proud of it,"
Alexander Arzumanyan says. According to him, his arrest might be a
signal for other political figures to behave themselves otherwise
they will be punished like me.

Alexander Arzumanyan thanked reporters for support. He believes
reporters do the real work, while the politicians do not. Alexander
Arzumanyan also said he was treated well at the isolation ward. "People
know what is going on in our country. I am respected not only in
the street, in the neighborhood, but also in prison, the ex-foreign
minister stated.

Arzumanyan is not going to leave politics. He is not certain yet
whether the Civil Disobedience will participate at the presidential
elections as a separate organization, or whether it will ally with
its proponents.

In reply to the question whether his arrest was determined by the
upcoming presidential elections, Arzumanyan said, "Everything in this
country is connected with the presidential elections, even everyday
shopping."

Being a liberal sphere representative and an ordinary Armenian
Pan-National Movement (HHSh) member Alexander Arzumanyan is happy to
see Levon Ter-Petrosyan back in politics.

MISS ARMENIA FIRST ROUND SELECTS 20 BEAUTIES

ARMENPRESS
Sep 10, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Twenty beauties have been selected
from 200 applicants in the first round of Miss Armenia beauty pageant
on September 8.

Girls from across Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are participating in
the contest.

Head of the Miss Armenia National Agency Karen Aristakesian, told o a
news conference that the beauties must be 168 cm tall, of 90-60-90 size
and have a level of intelligence, to be measured during an interview.

The poll of judges comprises members of national and international
agencies, model agencies, performers.

The winner of Miss Armenia 2007, as well as other participants,
who will win titles will have a chance to take part in international
contests.

TRASH DUMP BECOMES LIFESTYLE?

Lragir, Armenia
10-09-2007 14:25:44

The head of the Commission for Religious and Ethnic Minorities Hranush
Kharatyan stated September 10 at the Hayeli press club people in
Armenia might not be starving, they might borrow money to buy food
and then pay their debts, but it does not mean that poverty has been
reduced. "As quality and lifestyle, poverty has not reduced among those
people but aggravated, because people are not ashamed of being poor,
and they are not trying to hide. On the contrary, it is becoming a
lifestyle, an exhibition," Hranush Kharatyan says.

She said more and more people are spending their day at the trash
dump of Gyumri and earn their living there. Hranush Kharatyan says
these people might earn more than 20 thousand drams, the lower mark of
poverty, but they prefer the dump to cleaning the streets or working
as waiters.

Aaron Adibekyan, sociologist, who was also hosted at the Hayeli
club, said in every country there are people who live at the dump,
the form is different. Adibekyan says a homeless American won the
dispute against the authorities of New York who made him wash once
a month. He thought it was a violation of human rights.

COUNTY TO HONOR ARMENIAN FREEDOM
Chelsea Michels

Asbury Park Press, NJ
0070906/NEWS02/709060481/1070/NEWS02
Sept 6 2007

TOMS RIVER: The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders will hold
the seventh annual Armenian flag-raising at 1 p.m. Sept. 21 at the
Administration Building at 101 Hooper Ave.

The flag-raising ceremony will mark the 16th anniversary of Armenian
Liberation, according to a prepared statement from the freeholders.

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Honor Guard will attend,
along with Dr. Joan Rivitz, state Civil Rights commissioner, and
representatives from the Armenian American Social Club of Ocean County.

NKR NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKIAN’S INAUGURATION HELD IN STEPANAKERT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 7 2007

Today, September 7, NKR newly elected President Bako Sahakian’s
inauguration was held in Stepanakert.

IAA DE FACTO presents the full text of the inaugural address of the
President of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic Bako Sahakian at a special
sitting of the NKR National Assembly.

Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia, Honorable Mr. Arkady
Ghoukasyan, Your Grace, Respected Chairman of the National Assembly,
Distinguished deputies and guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Assuming
high and responsible post of the President of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic I would like to thank in the first place our people for
active participation in the July 19 Presidential elections and my
constituency for confidence. I appreciate the position of those
citizens who voted for other Presidential candidates too. This
means that they are concerned about development and progress in our
country. These visions will be definitely taken into consideration.

The past elections once again vindicated a unified will of the people
of Artsakh to live in a free and sovereign historical motherland.

Simultaneously, they demonstrated a decisive role of the country’s
public sector in forming the state’s supreme authority. In the coming
five years we will continue to build free and prosperous country
securing for this very purpose cooperation between all strata of
our society.

Taking the opportunity I would like to thank all foreign state and
nongovernmental structures, international organizations, mass media
that carried out observation of the July 19 elections and covered this
important for our state event. The assessments of the observers will
substantially contribute to the rating of our country as an effectively
functioning state worthy of international recognition. We also highly
appreciate their remarks and suggestions, which will be taken into
consideration in elaborating further democratization of our country.

These assessments prove that the foundation of our independent
statehood is quite firm. In this context I would like to express my
respect and gratitude to the first President of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic, President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to his
merit and contribution to NKR’s declaration as an independent state,
effective organization of the republic’s defense against aggression,
development of state institutions, economic recovery in the first
postwar years, as well as for his input in just settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabagh conflict.

Achievements in the recent period gave me a right to thank on behalf
of people second president of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Arkady
Ghoukasyan. Under his leadership in the last ten years our country
registered considerable progress in carrying out socioeconomic reforms,
democratization of public and political life, and finally adopted
its basic law – the Constitution. We are confident that Mr.

Ghoukasyan will continue to use reach experience of state, political
and national figure for the interests of the Motherland.

Dear friends, During the campaign I got another chance to visit almost
all settlements of the republic and get acquainted with problems and
concerns of our people. It was very much important for me see and hear
about all these issues. In the coming five years we will definitely
take into account suggestions and advice given during these meetings.

The main goal of my presidency will be to have a viable, socially just,
economically developed, and politically stable state. The strength
of such a state to a greater extent is derivative from our policy
towards the needs of the youth and socially vulnerable strata.

The authorities have much to do in this field.

Being guided by the Constitution we will continue to build a state,
which will protect the interests of its citizens. Ethnic minorities
will enjoy special protection.

We have a clear-cut agenda of challenges facing our republic. To
address them we need to reshape the policy of socioeconomic development
and put special emphasize on exploring investment resources directing
them into the most perspective fields. Available scientific and
intellectual potential will also serve this purpose.

International recognition of the Artsakh Republic, which is a pillar
of our foreign policy, will give a serious impetus to the pace of
our development. This is also in the interests of the region. NKR
Defense Army will be ready to rebuff any attack against our state and
society. The issues of army building, strengthening defense capacity,
solving social problems of the servicemen will be always in the focus
of attention.

We are exclusively adherent to the principles of peaceful settlement of
the Karabagh-Azerbaijan conflict. Highly appreciating the efforts of
international mediators, we hope that our opponents will eventually
realize that there is no alternative to the full participation of
the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in the negotiation process.

Ladies and gentlemen, International recognition of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic is the most important task that requires hard work to further
consolidate potentials of Artsakh, Armenia and the Diaspora and deepen
traditional cooperation. Our strength is in our unity.

At the end I would like to thank all those who have congratulated
me on my election. I assure you that all my energy, knowledge, and
experience will be used for the good of our nation.

Thank you.