Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 3 2008

Terrorism was the hottest news item last year

Separatist terror was the top story for the media in 2007 as reports
covering terrorism were the highest in number of all reported news
stories, according to a report by the Media Monitoring Center (MTM)
which regularly monitors more than 1,700 publications, broadcasters,
radios, newspapers and periodicals every month.

Terrorism, which was the top media focus last year, was covered in
270,535 news stories and 4,678 hours of TV broadcasting throughout
the year, the MTM report showed. In other words, an average TV
station in Turkey broadcast 195 full days of terrorism-related
stories.
The number of European Union-related news reports in the media fell
significantly — by 9 percent — in 2007 compared to the previous
year. EU news was covered in 237,322 stories last year. Also, 443
fewer hours were devoted by TV broadcasters to EU stories in 2007.

The murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, which occurred
in early 2007, had a strong resonance in the media for the rest of
the year. According to MTM’s 2007 media highlights report, the Dink
murder was the subject of a total of 57,611 news reports.

Global warming and climate change were the fourth most covered news
items in the media, with 44,581 stories published about the
environmental disaster.

Secularism, discussions on the headscarf ban in universities and
fears of a military takeover of the Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) government were the most frequently debated issues of last
year in the news media.

In technology, news about the popular networking site Facebook has
been attracting IT-related newsmakers since early November.

The political party that everybody talked about most was the AK
Party, as was the case in the previous year. A total of 288,924 news
stories were published on the AK Party, followed by 207,730 stories
on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which was in
turn followed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), elected to
Parliament in the July 22 elections last year and covered in 88,418
stories. The Democratic Society Party (DTP) was subject of 59,528
stories while the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) was the subject of
48,557 reports.

The MTM noted that the number of news stories about the AK Party rose
last year by 3.5 times in comparison to 2006. Also, the number of
news stories on the CHP increased by 2.5 times in comparison to the
previous year. About 2,868 hours of broadcasting centered on the AK
Party last year.

The report noted that interest in the DTP rose after the party was
elected to Parliament in July and that the number of news stories
about the DTP published since then was nose-to-nose with the number
of those on the AK Party.

Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoðan, who was covered in a total of
294,721 news stories last year, and President Abdullah Gül, who was
covered by 151,734 news items, were the most talked-about politicians
last year, followed by Deniz Baykal with 77,655 stories, former
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer with 55,370 stories and former Speaker
of Parliament Bülent Arýnç with 35,431 stories.

03.01.2008

Today’s Zaman Ýstanbul

Azat Artsakh Tert, Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Dec 29 2007

Homebuilding activity

In ending year Tufenkian Fund, which realizes various charitable
programs in Artsakh and Armenia, has performed with peculiar
statement.
Owing to James Tufenkian and other sponsors, the strucutre solves
problems of social, professional training, struggle against poverty
in Erevan, Vanadzor, Metsamor. The Fund brings its benefit for
resettlement of a number of settlements of Artsakh. Here programs are
realized in the directions of medical service, development of
substructures, grant-in-aid of talanted young people.
Tufenkian Fund congratulated everybody’s New Year’s Day and
Christmas, expresses confidence, that with joint efforts w’ll make
our free, independent Homeland prosperous.

Kavkas-Press, Georgia
Dec 30 2007

Separatists say Georgia did not let Armenian film crew into South
Ossetia

Tbilisi, 30 December: The authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic
of South Ossetia have accused Georgia of an information blockade. The
committee for print and information in Tskhinvali has announced that
Georgian law enforcers refused to allow a group of Armenian
journalists from Internews Armenia to enter South Ossetia.

The Armenian film crew was making a film about the Kosovo issue and
unresolved conflicts in the post-Soviet space. The committee also
said that Georgia refused to allow an independent journalist from
Norway, Ragnar (Skri?), to enter South Ossetia a few days ago.

Tbilisi has not commented on these accusations.

How to solve the problem of foreign language teachers at rural schools

26-12-2007 12:24:43 – KarabakhOpen

The main problem of rural schools is the lack of young qualified
teachers, stated the minister of education Vladik Khachatryan.
According to him, the children of rural communities do not get a
sufficient level of education. Young specialists do not go to work in
the village. There is a shortage of foreign language teachers.

The minister mentioned that mainly girls study at the teacher training
departments who marry men from Stepanakert and hardly move to live in
the village. On the other hand, very few rural students enter the
departments of foreign languages without any basic knowledge. Here is a
closed circle.

Donara Gabrielyan, rector of Mesrop Mashtots University, proposes
holding accelerated courses of foreign language teaching on the
condition that they must work at rural schools. She also said the
university may finance 50 percent of tuition fees.

GROUP OF RURAL COMMUNITY HEADS AWARDED WITH ANANIA SHIRAKATSI MEDAL

YEREVAN, DERCEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the information
provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press Office of the RA President, Albert
Vardges Ayvazian, the head of the community of the Arap village of the
Shirak region, Serioja Smbat Avetisian, the head of the community of
the Yeraskh village of the Ararat region, Andranik Hayk Hakobian, the
Head of the community of the Noratus village of the Gegharkunik region,
Aleksey Ilja Novikov, the head of the community of the Fioletovo
village of the Lori region, and Sargis Vazgen Poghosian, the head of
the community of the Haghartsin village of the Tavush region, have been
awarded with the Anania Shirakatsi medal for their considerable
contribution to the development of the communities of the Republic of
Armenia by the December 26 decree of Robert Kocharian, the President of
the Republic of Armenia.

CONSTRUCTION OF 30-KM WATER PIPELINE OF MARTAKERT FINISHES

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of the
30-kilometer water pipeline of Martakert implemented within the
framework of Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s Artsakh Revival program has
been finished. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Fund’s Public
Relations Department, the water pipeline will supply more than 7000
residents of neighboring villages with drinking water. According to
preliminary calculations, the water is more than sufficient and can be
also used for the purpose of irrigation. The program of construction of
Martakert water pipeline costing 3.3m dollars has been implemented with
the funds raised during Telethon 2005.

Water pipelines supplying Mets Shen (2.3 km), Maghavuz and Varnkatagh
villages (5.5 km) origin from the basic water pipeline. The water
pipeline has been built with steel tubes with strengthened
anti-corrosion isolation.

Besides the Martakert water pipeline, the Hayastan Fund has also
implemented a number of other water supply programs in the past years
in Karabakh. In particular, water pipelines of Martakert region’s
Vaghuhas, Shahumian region’s Nor Getashen and Nor Gharachinar villages
gave been built. Construction of water pipelines of Martakert region’s
village of Vank, Hadrut region’s water pipeline and Hadrut region’s
villages of Mets Taghlar, Azokh, Drakhtik is underway at present.

ARMENPRESS

IFC PARTNERS WITH ARDSHININVESTBANK TO IMPROVE ACCESS
TO SME

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: International
Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World
Bank Group, announced Wednesday (December 26) that it
has partnered with Ardshininvestbank, a leading bank
in Armenia, to increase access to housing finance and
lending to small and medium enterprises in the
country.
Under the agreement the IFC will provide $10
million in equity and a $15 million long-term
financing package to the bank.
This investment supports IFC’s strategy in Armenia,
which focuses on improving the lives of low-income
people and increasing access to finance for affordable
housing. To help achieve this goal, IFC works with
financial intermediaries in the country and provides
advisory services.
Aram Andreasian, Chairman of Ardshininvestbank’s
Board, said, `Working with IFC is an important step in
our development. This will help us expand, improve
operations, and offer new products and services to our
clients. We look forward to a long-term partnership
that will combine IFC’s strong international banking
experience with our local expertise.’
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters
sustainable economic growth in developing countries by
financing private sector investment, mobilizing
private capital in local and international financial
markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation
services to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision
is that poor people have the opportunity to escape
poverty and improve their lives.
In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized
an additional $3.9 billion through loan participations
and structured finance for 299 investments in 69
developing countries. IFC also provided advisory
services in 97 countries.
Founded in 2003, Ardshininvestbank is one of the
largest and most successful banks in Armenia. Based on
the audited financial report as of September 30, 2007,
Ardshininvestbank is the leading bank in the country
in terms of credit portfolio and profitability, with a
net profit of about $8.9 million.
Its total assets reached nearly $250 million, and
its equity reached about $43 million. The bank is
universal and has one of the country’s largest branch
networks, with 51 branches and an office in Paris. It
offers a wide range of financial products to its
clients.

ARMENPRESS

U.S. EMBASSY CONCERNED BY INACCURATE PORTRAYALS OF
ARMENIA NATIONAL STUDY

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: The U.S. Embassy
in Armenia said today in a press release that it has
watched with interest the recent press coverage
generated by the "Armenian National Study" funded by
the U.S. Agency for International Development.
`While the Embassy is encouraged that the study has
focused the attention of Armenian society and
political parties on the important electoral processes
underway in the country, we are nevertheless concerned
by the inaccurate portrayals of the study being
reported in some national media,’ the news release
said..
It said as part of the U.S. Government’s democracy
assistance program in Armenia, the "Armenia National
Study" is an opinion poll designed to be a neutral,
objective mechanism to assist political parties in
Armenia to better understand and respond to the major
political, economic and social concerns of Armenian
citizens. It is not meant to influence or predict the
way in which Armenians will vote during elections.
`In democratic societies, opinion polls provide
citizens with a forum in which to express their views
about major issues, both anonymously and objectively,
to elected officials and political parties that
represent their concerns. The opinion poll is also an
effective aid for elected officials and political
parties to develop programs and platforms that address
societal concerns and national issues.’
`Commissioned by the International Republic
Institute in 2006, the "Armenia National Study" is
being carried out in Armenia by the Vilnius-based
Baltic Surveys Ltd. / Gallup Organization with the
assistance of the Armenian Sociological Association.
It is common practice to work with local organizations
in carrying out such public opinion polls.
A total of seven quarterly opinion polls have been
carried out since May, 2006. The most recent poll was
taken in early December, 2007. An eighth and final
poll is scheduled for mid-January, 2008. Baltic
Surveys Ltd. / Gallup Organization is also planning to
conduct an exit poll during the presidential election
on February 19, 2008.
To ensure anonymity and objectivity of the opinion
poll, the Baltic Surveys Ltd. / Gallup Organization
uses a random sampling methodology that is the
mainstay of reputable Western polling organizations.
IRI has shared the poll results, including specific
information on respective political parties, with
party representatives.
The results of all seven polls conducted since May
2006, including more general information on the major
political, economic, and social issues, are free for
public examination on the IRI website ().
Neither the United States government, the
International Republican Institute nor Baltic Surveys
Ltd. / Gallup Organization endorses any particular
party or candidate. Non-party specific results are
made public; candidate and party results are shared
with the appropriate political parties.’

EU Special Representative: `it will be a disappointment if the
presidential elections in Armenian will just be conducted at the same
level as the parliamentary ones’

December 21, 2007
Yerevan /Mediamax/.

Special Representative of the European Union in the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby stated today in an interview to Mediamax, that the
upcoming presidentil election `is an opportunity for Armenia to take
another important step towards consolidation of its democratic
institutions’.

Peter Semneby told Mediamax about this in a telephone interview from
Brussels, commenting on the results of his two-day visit to Yerevan.

`There is a positive backdrop to build on. The parliamentary elections
in May received an assessment that was largely positive. And the wide
field of candidates for the presidency should provide for a lively
campaign that will stimulate the interest in political life among the
public’, Special Representative of the European Union in the South
Caucasus said this.

`But at the same time, there are also a few question-marks that will
have to be taken seriously. Although the parliamentary elections
received a passing grade, it will be a disappointment if the
presidential elections will just be conducted at the same level.
Instead, Armenia should aim for further improvement. The international
observers noticed several areas with room for improvement, in
particular media coverage, voting procedures, vote counting, prevention
of vote buying, and use of administrative resources. The presidential
election is an opportunity to address the shortcomings that were
noticed last time’, Peter Semneby stated in an interview to Mediamax.

Armenian Energy Minister: New NPP in Armenia may be built by
international consortium

2007-12-22 16:17:00

ArmInfo. A new nuclear power plant may be built in Armenia by an
international consortium including representatives of several
countries, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsissyan said at a
press-conference, Saturday.

According to him, the world practice may be applied with respect to
Armenia. He noted that over the past five years the international
community’s attitude to the construction of a new NPP in Armenia has
changed for the better. "Today the international community holds out a
helping hand to Armenia for construction of a new NPP", the minister
said. He added that Russia can install nuclear reactors, which are
reliable and good enough, Europe – electric equipment, and the USA –
automatic equipment. Movsissyan said that the feasibility study of the
new NPP’s construction will be prepared in September 2008, then the
design work will start and the general contractor will be chosen.

Movsissyan noted that at the moment, many show interest in the
construction of a new NPP in Armenia, and "Armenia has a choice". He
added that Armenia is privileged to have good nuclear energy
specialists lacking in the neighbor countries of the region.