ROBERT KOCHARIAN: “NEW SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPOSES SERIOUS REFORMS”
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian
received on March 9 the newly elected Rectors of four institutions of
higher education of Yerevan: State Medical University Rector Gohar
Kyalian, State Economy Institute Rector Yuri Suvarian, Rector of
State University of Architecture and Construction Hovik Tokmajian
and Theater and Cinematography State Institute Rector Hrachia
Gasparian. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by
the RA President’s Press Office, congratulating the newly elected
heads of the educational institutions, the President mentioned that
they are the first rectors elected by introduction of the new system
of management of the institutions of higher education. According to
R.Kocharian, the system has a long-going goal and supposes serious
reforms of the system of higher educational institutions. He
expressed a wish to listen to what the heads of the institutions
are going to do in that direction. Presenting the main problems and
future actions of their spheres, the Rectors considered primary the
quality increase of education, improvement of the management system
and its making corresponding to modern demands, preparation of the
scientific staff. Mentioning that the first step in the direction
of improvement of management mechanisms of institutions of higher
education was taken, the country head expressed wish for the next
steps are successive. According to him, every reformation program
is connected with some difficulties and heads of higher educational
institutions must have enough will to overcome them and move the
reforms forward.

NUMBER OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS OF ARMENIA TO ADD BY 10 IN FUTURE
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. 10 more new vocational schools will
open in different marzes of Armenia soon. At present 28 thousand
pupils study at 81 middle professional educational institutions of
the country, and 4 thousand pupils at 27 vocational schools. The
education lasts for three years in vocational schools, connected
with the level of the comprehensive education, and in the middle
professional school this lasts for two years. As Samvel Pipoyan, the
Middle Professional Education Department Chief of the RA Ministry
of Education and Science informed in the interview with the Noyan
Tapan correspondent, besides the state assistance, international
organizations acting in Armenia: TACIS and GTZ (German Technical
Cooperation), also support development and spreading of the sphere
of middle professional education. According to the Department Chief,
this is already the 5th year that the GTZ implements interregional
cooperation in the middle professional sphere. The first stage of
the program envisages preparation of the rulling staff, the second
one envisages re-training of lecturers. According to S.Pipoyan, the
pedagogical staff of this sphere of Armenia hasn’t been re-trained
already for 15 years. The TACIS organization implements the 3 mln euros
program “Assistance to Development of Professional System of Armenia”
which has three components: study and analysis of the job market,
re-training the lecturers, re-armament of the material-technical
basis. According to S.Pipoyan, at present the sphere of the middle
professional education has two most important and primary problems:
to solve the issue of giving at least one free professional education
to children of families of socially vulnerable strata and the issue of
cooperation of businessmen and the middle professional educational
sphere. According to him, a claim for preparing specialists was
presented up to this day by the “HayRusgazard” company, with the demand
of 100 specialists. According to S,Pipoyan, today employers in Armenia
aren’t sure in continuation of their business and consequently they
can’t work out long-lasting programs as well as to prepare future
specialists.

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY OPENS IN UN ARMENIAN OFFICE
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition of photos and women
artists’ works dedicated to the International Women’s Day opened at
the UN Armenian Office on March 7. This was organized by the joint
efforts of the UN Armenian Office and the Association of Diplomates’
Wifes. The UN Development Program’s “Gender and Policy in South
Caucasus: Georgia and Armenia” program supported implementation of the
display titled “Creative Synthesis” of more than 30 paintings, gobelins
ann other works of women artists. 60 best works of the three painters,
Albert Babelian (Armenia), Sanan Aleskerov (Azerbaijan) and Natella
Grigalashvili (Georgia) are presented in the photo display titled
“Women of South Caucasus” presented by the UN Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM). 12 photos having been presented in the UNIFEM 2006
regional annual calendar are among the above-mentioned works. UN
Resident Coordinator Consuelo Vidal and Chairwoman of the Association
of Diplomates’ Wifes Nani Oskanian were present at the opening of
the exhibition and addressed welcome speeches to the participants.

MONTH OF TREE PLANTING, SANITARY CLEANING AND IMPROVEMENT WORKS TO BE HELD IN NKR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
STEPANAKERT, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A month of works of tree planting,
sanitary cleaning and improvement will be held from March 15 to
April 15, 2006 in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. According to the
information of the NKR Government’s Press Service, Prime Minister
Anushavan Danielian signed the decision about that. The NKR “Public
Television-Radio Company” CJSC, “Azat Artsakh” (Free Artsakh) newspaper
editorial staff, other means of mass media are instructed to widely
cover the process and results of organizing and holding the month.

RA PRESIDENT’S CONGRATULATION MESSAGE ON OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA President’s Press Office
submitted to Noyan Tapan President Robert Kocharian’s congratulation
message on the occasion of March 8. The message reads: “Dear women, I
congratulate You upon the Womens’ Day. It’s difficult to list all those
spheres in which your involvement is traditionally great. Women has
always had a significant contribution in prosperity of Armenia. There
is no one who understands and attaches importance to the meaning of
peaceful, stable development better that You. I especially congratulate
all our mothers: You are the basis of the family, You keeps our
centuries-old traditions. The picture of our future generations is
formed by the upbringing You give. I wish You the happiness to be
proud of that future. Congratulating on the occasion of this nice
spring holiday, March 8, I wish You to remain beautiful and charming,
and let love and warmness always fly under Your family roofs.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRIME MINISTER’S CONGRATULATION MESSAGE ON OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Government’s Information and
Public Relations Department submitted to Noyan Tapan Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian’s congratulation message on the occasion of March
8. The message reads: “Dear Women, I warmly congratulate You upon
the Women’s Day. This nice holiday is another wonderful occasion to
address words of our gratitude and love, regard and appreciation to
You for Your devotion and care, inexhaustible kindness, patience, Your
inspirating presence. Dear women, mothers, sisters, Your contribution
in firmness of our families, education of generations and upbringing
by the spirit of national values is undenialable. Faithful to Your
mission devoted to the nation, You participate in improvement of our
independent statefood as well, having a significant contribution in
most different spheres of the public-political life of our state. I
wish all You health, boundless love and happiness, family warmness
and spring high mood.”

5 ARMENIAN BOXERS TO TAKE PART IN WARSAW TRADITIONAL INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A traditional international
boxing tournament will be held on March 15-20 in Warsaw. The
tournament is dedicated to the outstanding boxing specialist Felix
Shtam. Representatives of Armenia will also compete with boxers of
different countries of the world. Chief trainer of Armenian national
team Rafael Mehrabian included the best 5 boxers in the team for
taking part in the authoritative tournament to be held in the capital
of Poland. These boxers are: Gabriel Tolmajian (54 kg weight category,
Yerevan), Andranik Hakobian (75kg, Echmiadzin), Hrachya Javakhian (64
kg, Vanadzor), Samvel Matevosian (69 kg, Vanadzor) and Artak Malumian
(81 kg, Vanadzor).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ARONIAN IN SECOND PLACE AFTER 12 TOURS IN LINARES TOURNAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
LINARES, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The games of 11th and 12th tours
were held in the chess super-tournament in the city of Linares,
Spain. Representative of Armenia Levon Aronian gained 1.5 points
in the last 2 tours. First he defeated Spanish Francisco Valekha,
then drew the game with Russian Pyotr Svidler.
He is currenty in second place. After 12 tours the chess-players take
the following places on the table: 1. Peter Leko (Hungary) 7.5 points,
2. Levon Aronian (Armenia) 7 points, 3-4. Veselin Topalov (Bulgary),
Temur Rajabov (Azerbaijan) 6.5 points each, 5. Pyotr Svidler (Russia)
6 points, 6-7. Vasili Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Etien Bakro (France) 5 points
each, 8. Franciso Valekho (Spain) 4.5 points. The last two tours of
the Linares tournament will be held on March 10 and 11. Levon Aronian
first will compete with Bakro, then Leko.

KARABAKH: PEACE DEAL DOUBTS
By Ashot Beglarian in Stepanakert
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
March 9 2006
The Karabakh Armenians voice their concerns over elements of a peace
agreement.
Following the recent unsuccessful peace talks on the Nagorny Karabakh
dispute in Paris, the Karabakh Armenians are demanding a greater say
in the peace process that will decide their future.
Having kept quiet on the eve of the talks, the leadership of the
territory is insisting that the Karabakh Armenians must now be allowed
to negotiate directly with the government in Baku.
“When Azerbaijan negotiates with Armenia and rejects dialogue with
Nagorny Karabakh it is clear that they have one goal – to portray
Armenia as an aggressor,” Arkady Gukasian, president of Karabakh
told journalists. “I regard that as propaganda. As soon as Azerbaijan
begins negotiations with Nagorny Karabakh it will become obvious that
Baku is moving away from propaganda.”
Gukasian said that he supported the peace negotiations chaired by the
American, French and Russia mediators of the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe but they should not be a substitute for
“direct talks between the parties of the conflict” – which he says
are Nagorny Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
The Karabakh Armenians are currently excluded from the peace talks.
Baku refuses to talk directly to them, saying that Armenia has
annexed the territory of Azerbaijan and it will only negotiate with
the government in Yerevan. The Karabakh Armenians says they are in
a direct confrontation with Azerbaijan.
Nagorny Karabakh proclaimed itself an independent state in 1991,
but is not recognised by the international community and is linked
to the outside world via Armenia.
On this issue, there is a unified position in Karabakh. Parliamentary
deputy and former general Vitaly Balasanian said, “It is illogical
to keep silent when your own fate is being decided.” Gegam
Bagdasarian, a member of the opposition parliamentary faction ARF
Dashnaktsutiun-Movement-88, said, “We ought not to have allowed the
problem to move onto the Armenia-Azerbaijan plane.”
High hopes were placed on the peace talks in Rambouillet outside
Paris last month but they ended without result and with mutual
recriminations. The mediators met again in Washington this week and
US officials are expected to visit Azerbaijan next week to explore
new ideas.
Since the talks failed, top officials in Azerbaijan, including the
minister of defence, have said that if the peace process fails Baku
reserves the right to go back to war to re-conquer Karabakh.
The Karabakh military leadership said that they were ready to respond
to this.
“Naturally we are concerned by the militaristic declarations coming
from Baku,” said defence minister Seiran Ohanian. “However in terms
of our equipment and modernisation our army is no worse than the
Azerbaijani one and as head of the military I declare that we are
ready to fight for every inch of our land. In case of necessity,
our army is ready to organise defence, to counter-attack and make
preventative strikes.”
At Rambouillet the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, Robert
Kocharian and Ilham Aliev, discussed a peace plan which reportedly
involves the phased withdrawal of Armenian forces from seven
territories around Nagorny Karabakh, the introduction of peacekeepers
and a referendum to be held at a future date on the status of Karabakh.
The issue of status, which has been at the heart of the dispute since
it began in 1988, again appears to be the biggest stumbling block.
Karabakh’s foreign minister Giorgy Petrosian told IWPR, “Any status
lower than independence is unacceptable for us. The participation
of the Karabakh side in negotiations is important and necessary,
as there is a series of questions which cannot be decided without
Nagorny Karabakh.”
Despite their closeness to Armenia, the Karabakh Armenians are also
setting out a distinct position on a series of key issues under
discussion in the negotiations.
Rudolf Hairapetian, chairman of the parliamentary commission on state
legal issues, told IWPR that holding a referendum was “a waste of
time and money” because Karabakh had held one in 1991 and voted to
secede from Azerbaijan.
“In the 14 years which have passed since we proclaimed independence, no
processes have occurred which suggest that public opinion has changed
by a single iota. Any person on our streets can confirm that,” he said.
The Karabakhis also have worries about the prospect of withdrawal of
forces from the regions of Kelbajar and Lachin that lie immediately
between Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia.
“All our rivers that feed the population of Nagorny Karabakh begin in
Kelbajar,” said political analyst David Babayan. “If it is returned to
the control of Baku it will be easy to carry out an act of biochemical
sabotage to poison the rivers. It is absolutely impossible to return
the Lachin region, as it is our means of contact with the outside
world.”
They also want to raise the issue of the Shaumian region which they
regard as being part of Nagorny Karabakh but all of whose Armenian
population was driven out by the Azerbaijani offensive of 1992.
Following the meeting in Rambouillet, several round tables were held
in Nagorny Karabakh to discuss the implications of the meeting.
Human rights activist Karen Ohanjanian argued for greater
democratisation, saying, “The international community is ready within
the framework of international law to recognise self-proclaimed
republics if they meet sufficient requirements.”
“We need to bring public opinion to the attention of the negotiators
and always remember the price that Nagorny Karabakh paid for victory in
the war,” said Galina Arustamian, chairwoman of the Union of Relatives
of Dead Warriors.
IWPR asked 20 Karabakh residents for their views on the peace
process. All were firmly of the view that Nagorny Karabakh should be
given a direct role in the negotiations.
“Diplomats ought to find the correct way to solve the problem by
means of organising high-level meetings in Baku and Stepanakert and
also between figures from the worlds of art and culture, historians,
writers, workers, representatives of all levels of society in
Azerbaijan and Nagorny Karabakh,” said Arto Saakian, whose son died
in the war of 1991-94.
“It won’t be possible to achieve any positive result at top-level
Armenia-Azerbaijan meetings until Azerbaijan sits down at the
negotiating table with Nagorny Karabakh.”
Most respondents agreed that Azerbaijani refugees ought to be allowed
to return when a political settlement was reached. However, several of
those questioned in the town of Shushi (which formerly had a majority
Azerbaijani population and is known by Azerbaijanis as Shusha) were
categorically against this.
“The return of Azerbaijanis conceals the threat of a resumption of
war in a few decades, as sooner or later they will begin to present
their claims to the land and ‘stab us in the back’,” said Sanasar,
an elderly resident.
On the key issue of the status of Karabakh itself, most of those
questioned said they favoured the return of territories from their
control to that of Azerbaijan only in exchange for a guarantee of
the independence of Nagorny Karabakh.
Ashot Beglarian is a freelance journalist in Stepanakert, Nagorny
Karabakh. The terminology used in the edited version of this article
differs from that used by the author.

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN URGES JAPAN TO INVEST IN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE
Pravda, Russia
March 9 2006
Azerbaijan’s president on Thursday urged Japanese companies to invest
in his nation’s oil infrastructure, saying he hoped the Caucasus
country will soon become a major oil exporter.
President Ilham Aliev, in Tokyo on a four-day trip, told Japanese
Foreign Minister Taro Aso that Azerbaijan had implemented a range of
social and economic policies and had “high expectations” for increased
Japanese investment, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Aliev
told Aso he hoped Azerbaijan would soon become a major exporter of
oil and natural gas, according to the statement.
Aso said Tokyo was interested in maintaining strong bilateral
ties because of Azerbaijan ‘s importance, geopolitically and as an
oil-producing nation.
Aliev was slated to meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday.
Azerbaijan is rich in oil and gas reserves. But development of those
reserves has been hindered by conflict with neighboring Armenia over
the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan.
The 18-year dispute, in which at least 30,000 people have been killed
and 1 million made refugees, has affected stability throughout the
strategic and oil-rich Caucasus region, reports the AP.