RA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE TO FIGHT SHADOW EXPRESSIONS IN SCHOOLS
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 15:33
New officials of the Ministry of Education and Science are elaborating
new programs to resole the problems existing in the schools of the
Republic.
“From now on any headmaster or teacher, who will try to collect money,
will be severely punished,” declared Bagrat Yesayan, RA Deputy Minister
of Education and Science.
Hereafter the citizens can report about concrete shadow cases through
52-73-43 hotline.
Bagrat Yesayan assured that these cases will be definitely addressed.
According to the Deputy Minister, an unfair approach is dominating
in schools today, the respect for the teacher’s profession should
be retrieved.
“Cash payments in schools will be prohibited,” Bagrat Yesayan said.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO HOLD AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 15:42
Chairman of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan signed a decree,
according to which under Article 70 of RA Constitution, at the
initiative of the Government of Armenia an extraordinary session of
the National Assembly will be called at 10.00, July 6, 2006.

MP ARMEN ASHOTYAN CALLS ASHOT BLEYAN TRAITOR TO THE NATION
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 16:38
The interview of the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew
Bryza and the famous statement of the mediators continue to stay in
the center of attention and become subjected to various comments. A
dispute over the current state of the Karabakh conflict was launched
today between President of the “New Way” NGO, former Deputy Ashot
Bleyan and young Republican Armen Ashotyan.
According to Bleyan, Yerevan should establish friendly relations with
neighboring Baku, thus promoting Armenia’s development.
Republican Armen Ashotyan assimilates Ashot Bleyan’s suggestion with
a conspiracy.
“You have blurred the Karabakh issue, now go and find edges of
peace with Baku,” suggested Ashot Bleyan, who considers Azerbaijan
a potential strategic partner and wants to go to Baku not through
Vienna, but via a direct Yerevan-Baku highway.
Armen Ashotyan sincerely confessed that he is very surprised with
the on-line contact with Bleyan and named him a traitor to the nation.
“We should respect our neighbor Azerbaijan,” Bleyan confirmed. In
his opinion, Armenia is a loser in the Karabakh issue, and out loss
is irretrievable.
For Armen Ashotyan maintenance of the status quo in Karabakh is
acceptable.
He will stand for the deployment of peacekeeping forces if a referendum
is held in Karabakh parallel to the withdrawal of our forces.

EXHIBITION OF CULTURE OF ETHNIC MINORITIES OPENED IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 16:55
Exhibition of painting and decorative-applied art of ethnic minorities
of Armenia dedicated to the 15th anniversary of declaration of
independence of the Republic of Armenia opened today in RA State
Museum of Folk Arts.
The exhibition was organized by RA Ministry of Culture and Youth
Affairs and will continue till July 8.
10 out of 11 ethnic minorities of Armenia presented their culture
at the exhibition. These included the Yezidi, Kurdish, Russian,
Greek, Assyrian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish and Georgian
communities.
According to the coordinator of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth
Affairs Armenuhi Demirchyan, the German community did not participate
in the exhibition because of a good reason.
Armenuhi Demirchyan noted that the objective of the exhibition is to
demonstrate that the ethnic minorities on the territory of Armenia
fully preserve their national peculiarities, culture and language.
The exhibition was attended by RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs
Hasmik Poghosyan and Adviser to RA President Sergo Yeritsyan. The
latter informed that a cultural center for ethnic minorities will be
opened in Armenia in the fall.

GAGIK HARUTYUNYAN: CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO APPLY THE CONSTUTIONAL COURT IS A STEP FORWARD
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 17:48
Constitutional amendments envisage that starting July 1st citizens
can apply the Constitutional Court. Four applications have already
been submitted to the Court.
President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan considers that
the receipt of individual applications is a progress. The procedure
of submission of applications is already ready.
“The citizens will face no obstacles in applying the Constitutional
Court,” Gagik Haruyunyan assured.
Today the Constitutional Court celebrated also the Constitution Day.
“Only the respect of every citizen for this important law can make
our country move forward,” Minister of Justice David Harutyunyan said.
From: Baghdasarian

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS ISSUE ANOTHER STATEMENT
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 18:05
“OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs continue to believe that the suggestions
developed during the last two years of negotiations provide the
best opportunity to reach a fair and long-term settlement,” says the
statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, issued July 3.
Once again presenting the principles mentioned in the report
introduced to the OSCE Permanent Council, the mediators express the
confidence that “time has come that taking these principles as a basis,
Presidents of the two countries should aspire to achieve progress in
the settlement process.” “In case the Presidents show willingness,
the Co-Chairs are ready to assist the parties in concluding a treaty,”
the statement says.
“Although no meetings of the parties with mediation of the Co-Chairs
are envisaged, they are ready to engage in the matter again if the
parties decide to continue the talks with the political will, which
was missing up to now,” the Co-Chairs mention.

AKHTAMAR CHURCH (ALMOST) RESTORED
Yavuz Baydar
The New Anatolian, Turkey
July 3 2006
A three day trip to Eastern Anatolia can be, even in the cooking heat
of summer, an extremely heartening, enlightening, teaching, well,
delightful experience. I had never been to the town of Dogubeyazýt,
which faces the majestic Ararat mountains and looks as if it is
protected by it. When the mayor, Ms Mukaddes Kubilay, elected as
candidate of pro-Kurdish DEHAP Party, invited me and a colleague of
mine, Oral Calýþlar, for a roundtable discussion on Kurdish question,
I accepted enthusiastically.
Soon after we arrived in the small and busy airport of Van, we headed
for a destination of great importance: island of Akhtamar, situated
southside of Van, some 5 miles off the shore of Van Lake. The island
is known throughout the world with its ancient Armenian church, called
Akhtamar – or, Akdamar, as in Turkish. 1.100 years old, Akhtamar was
one of the main temples of the Armenians. Its historical and symbolic
value has been undisputable.
The symphatetic church, built with the lightbrown local stones, has
been a ruin for decades, left as it was deserted. Its walls had deep
scars, bullet holes, grafiti and all sorts of prints by vandalism.
But a year ago, by the initiative of AK Party government, a restoration
work was commissioned. Under the surveillance of a group of experts
from universities of Ýstanbul, Ankara and Van, contractor firm
Kartalkaya, of the local Zeydanlý family, initiated the work.
As we approached the island, I did not expect much progress in
restoration. After all it was not even a year under harsh climate
conditions. But the visit around and inside the church was full of
great surprises.
The external work was almost completed and internally and, according
to Ahmet Mete Tozkoparan, who co-leads the Project, less than a
couple of months were needed. Four young experts were in full action
in recovering what was left of the fantastic frescoes. The floor
was complete.
Outside, it was even a more fabulous sight. Facades, that depicted
much of the iconography, some with references to Abbasi dynasty,
were cleaned neatly.
Then, as suggested by Yalcýn Karaca, an extremely knowledgeable
archeologist from Van University, we were taken to the other side
of the churchyard, where the team meticolously excavated what was
left of the walls and rooms of the monastery and the school. Those
of us who only remembered only earth on that part, were met with
astonishment. Our hosts pointed out that the walls now faced the
threat of the winter: Since they were fragile, the first strong rain
would start to threaten to destruct it. They were expecting, in vain,
some quick green light from the Department of Culture for covering
them neatly. It looked urgent indeed.
Over tea with the gentle team we discussed a lot about the iconography
of the church, that stood there, above us, majestically.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdoðan, we were told, took care of the work
of restoration personally, and he even visited the site by a chopper,
an unannounced appearence that even took place without the knowledge
of the local governor.
Next week, the island will have another visitor. The Armenian Patriarch
of Turkey, Mesrob II, will travel to Akhtamar to see what it now looks
like. He will be, I am sure, as surprised as we were. I could easily
call it the best restoration work ever done in Turkey.
One certainly hopes for more.
The opening of the church will not only mean a lot for the Armenians,
but also for the locals who expect more tourism and contacts.
–Boundary_(ID_ryDVpxVkqwTf7bZzK0A5kA)- –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHIEF TRAINER OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA FILES HIS RESIGNATION
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 17:26
Chief trainer of the national football team of Armenia Samvel Darbinyan
was dismissed for the position, according to his own application.
He will soon leave for Iran, where he will lead one of the local
football teams, Press Secretariat of RA Football Federation informs.
Earlier Samvel Darbinyan worked in Iran for two years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTSAKH WAR PARTICIPANTS CALL UPON ALL PATRIOTIC FORCES TO DEFEND ENDANGERED HOMELAND
Noyan Tapan
Jul 4 2006
YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. “The country gained a victory, but has
no winner. People who fought, perished for the homeland and won,
have no status. The history of our Movement, the history of the
Liberation War is distorted,” the July 4 statement of a group of
Artsakh liberation war commanders read.
The statement authors emphasize that people who won the war are in a
bad social position in Armenia and everything is done to discredit
them and the way passed by them in the society’s eyes. “People who
are not connected at all with this Movement and War evaluate the
merits of the war participants,” the Artsakh war participants declare.
“We, Armenians, have liberated a small part of our lost homeland,
which is an Absolute value, it proves that it is given to the
enemy. Proceeding from the above mentioned, we declare that those
who will lift up their hand against even if the smallest part of our
homeland mechanically put themselves in the position of Turk invaders
with all consequences proceeding from this. We call upon all patriotic
forces to unite at this critical moment and to defend our homeland
that is in danger,” the war participants declare.
The statement was signed by Mikael Apresian, Commander of the “Artsakh”
regiment, Manvel Yeghiazarian, Commander of the “Arabo” regiment,
Arkady Karapetian, Commander of troops of Artaskh self-defence,
Field Commander Voskan Gyulumian.

DAMAGE CAUSED BY NATURAL CALAMITIES MAKES 1.4 BLN DRAMS IN TAVUSH REGION
Noyan Tapan
Jul 4 2006
IJEVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. This year the damage caused by natural
calamities – spring frosts, floods and drought, made 1.4 bln drams
(about 3.3 mln USD) in Tavush region. NT correspondent was informed
about it by Razmik Melikjanian, Head of the Agriculture and Nature
Protection Department of Tavush Regional Administration. According
to him, the account on damages was submitted to the government,
but is not known yet whether the government will compensate the damage.
According to the head of the department, 45 out of 62 communities
suffered.
Fruit gardens suffered from drought by 60-70%, sowing areas of
potatoes and vegetables by 50-60%, vineyards by 15-20%. Due to the
long drought the average crop of grain is expected only in the amount
of 8-10 centners from 1 hectare.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress