MHER SHAHGELDIAN: THEY HAVE GREAT POSSIBILITIES TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. One may not say that the Karabakh
negotiation process entered deadlock at the meeting of the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan taken place in Ramboillet recently. Mher
Shahgeldian, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defence,
Internal Affairs and National Security Issues expressed such a
confidence at the April 7 meeting with journalists at the “Pastark”
club. According to him, this was one of the negotiation stages, and
those negotiations have great possibilities to continue. Attaching
importance to the continuous character of the negotiation process,
the speaker expressed an opinion that the year of 2006 may become a
“window” for solution of the Karabakh issue. According to him, it’s
obvious that international structures and negotiators are interested
for the negotiations continue. The speaker found it difficult to say
for what compromises Azerbaijan is ready.
According to him, the martial statements of the Azerbaijani side
do not coincide with the position of the international community as
well as of Armenia, concerning settling the issue in a peaceful way,
and from this viewpoint, the probability of the Azerbaijani side’s
going to compromise must increase. He attached importance to the
circumstance that the universal approach of the international community
but not of separate states exists in this issue. At the same time,
Shahgeldian mentioned that negotiators may propose different models,
but the final solution depends on the conflict sides. The deputy didn’t
agree with the opinion, that the U.S. attempts to speed up solution
of the Karabakh problem. According to him, solution of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem is itself important for the U.S., from the viewpoint
of securing stability in the South Caucasian region. According to the
speaker, it’s impossible to implement directly the model of Kosovo in
Karabakh. But there are approaches in that model which may be used. At
the same time, it’s spoken about the participation of Nagorno Karabakh
in the negotiation process, observing the issue in the context of
the Eurointegration process.

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL MEETING OF ACTION FOR CHURCHES TOGETHER ALLIANCE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
GENEVA, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The annual meeting of the “Action for
Churches Together” alliance took place at the Ecumenic Institute of
Bossei, near Geneva, on April 5-7. Representative of the Armenian
Apostolic Church Karen Nazarian, the Executive Director of the
Armenian Interchurch Round Table also participated in the meeting. The
“Action for Church Together” is a special structure in the Churches
World Council system which allocates humanitarian aid in the case of
extreme situations and disasters. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
Interchurch Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
for securing the continuous character of the programs, it was decided
at the 2006 meeting to widen the ACT mandate and complete programs
implemented in extreme situations with development works as well.

VAHE SHAHVERDIAN: METAKSIA HAS BEEN AND WILL REMAIN BEAUTIFUL FAIRY-TALE AND UNIQUE CHARM OF ARMENIAN THEATER
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Metaksia has been
and will remain the beautiful fairy-tale and the unique charm of the
Armenian theater. I don’t know and can’t say when a new Metaksia will
be born in the Armenian theater. Her place on the stage is vacant
up to this day,” Vahe Shahverdian, Art Director of Gabriel Sundukian
National Academic Theater, declared at the April 10 event dedicated
to well-known actress Metaksia Simonian’s 80th birth anniversary. Vahe
Shahverdian said that he is always angry when he hears such expressions
as “a beautiful actress”, “an attractive actress” addressed to
Metaksia as Metaksia became beautiful and attractive on the stage as
“her charm had a talent and her talent had a charm”. This was the
talent of being unusual and unique that Metaksia had on the stage. The
evidence of this are numerous roles the talented actress played with
an attraction and charm no one else has ever played on the stage
of the Armenian theater”. According to V.Shahverdian, Metaksia
Simonian’s best role was the role of Nastasya Philipovna in the
“Idiot” by Feodor Dostoyevski. At the Moscow tour in 1970, this role
played by the actress was estimated by well-known theatrical critics
Svobodin and Rudniski as “the best Nastasya Philipovna in the Soviet
Union”. “For unknown reasons, the Armenians have never spoken about
this. The theatrical world did not like her. The theatrical world
persecuted her. I can ground my words by articles and publications
written about her at that time,” V.Shahverdian declared. According
to the Art Director of the National Academic Theater, the actress
having an exclusive talent should have been buried in the Pantheon
after Komitas: “She should rest near the other Armenian great figures.
Metaksia’s place is there”. Vahe Shahverdian also mentioned that a week
of performances will be held on the occasion of the 80th anniversary
of the actress with the participation of theaters of Armenia, Artsakh
and Tbilisi, which will be concluded by a distribution of prizes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONCERT-ACTION ENTITLED “IT’S POSSIBLE” TO BE HELD ON INITIATIVE OF EMBASSY OF GREAT BRITAIN TO ARMENIA, ON APRIL 11
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The concert-action entitled “It’s
Possible” will be held in Yerevan on April 11, on the initiative of
the Embassy of Great Britain. The goal of the event is to support
increasing the public consciousness towards a number of important
issues among the Armenian youth. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the
Political, Press and Public Ties Department of the British Embassy to
the RA, the concert-action to be held at the Al.Spendiarian Opera and
Ballet National Academic Theater will attach importance to three public
problems: clean Yerevan, refusal of corruption and legal awareness.
The concert tickets will be freely given to students of the
institutions of higher education of Yerevan.

SCIENTISTS EXPRESS ANXIETY THAT REFORMS OF SCIENCE TO BE HELD IN PERIOD OF CHANGING ACADEMY HEADS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 10 sitting of the
Chairmanship of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Prime
Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian officially stated about RA
NAS Chairman Fadey Sargsian’s resignation. The decision about it was
adopted by the RA Government on April 6.
By another decision of the RA Government made on April 10, 2006,
Fadey Sargsian is appointed the RA Prime Minister’s Advisor. Before
the elections, Academician Sergey Hambardzumian will be the acting
Chairman of the NAS. While discussing the coming reforms in the sphere
of science, the Prime Minister stated that the package of reforms,
presented to the RA Government will be discussed only after elections
of the new Chairman of the RA NAS. Connected with it, some actual
questions were raised at the Chairmanship of the RA NAS: particularly,
issues of necessity of holding elections of correspondening members
as soon as possible and about elections of new directors of the
institute, connected with age qualification (65 years old). It was
mentioned that reforms must be held in calm situation, but not in the
period of changing heads of scientific departments and the Chairman
of the RA NAS. Academician E.Gabrielian proposed to make changes
in the Regulations of the academy as well, for the election for the
posts of the Chairman and academicians-secretaries is limited by two
terms. The Prime Minister promised that elections of corresponding
members will not be connected with reforms.

ARMENIAN-IRANIAN UNIVERSITY “ARIA” TO OPEN IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. “The two-year efforts of Armenian and
Iranian scientists aimed at founding an Armenian-Iranian University
in Yerevan were crowned with success: a new University “Aria” will
open in September this year in Yerevan”. Noyan Tapan correspondent
was informed about it by professor Garnik Asatrian, Head of the
Iranian Studies Chair of Yerevan State University (YSU). He also
heads the group of Armenian scientists working at the foundation of
the University “Aria”. According to him, the agreement about founding
“Aria” was reached between YSU and “Bayamenur”, the largest Iranian
University in the region, having 27 branches in Iran, as well as
in Afghanistan and in countries of Central Asia. Professor Asatrian
said that the Armenian-Iranian University will be in the system of
the private higher education institutions. It is supposed that four
faculties will work at the University at the level of magistrasy:
oriental studies, international relations and political sciences,
energy of biomass and ecology, as well as a faculty of radiophysics.
“The opening of the University is a very pleasing event that
demonstrates the high level of interrelations between Armenia
and Iran. This is the first joint scientific-educational and
cultural center,” G.Asatrian declared. According to him, as it is
planned, Armenian and Iranian specialists, as well as scientists
from Georgia, Russia and countries of West Europe will work at the
University. “I think that the University will become not only a center
for concentration of the scientific thought of the region but will
also create an opportunity to involve and concentrate the scientific
cadres who have had no demand by now and academic scientists who are
literally in a disastrous condition,” professor Asatrian declared.

MINASIAN AND ANASTASIAN IN LEADERS’ GROUP AFTER 3 TOURS IN EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The games of the 3rd tour were held in
men’s and women’s chess Europe championships. In the men’s tournament
representatives of Armenia Artashes Minasian and Ashot Anastasian ended
the game in a draw. Currently they have gained 2.5 points each and
share 2-18th places with a number of chess-players. They lag behind the
only leader, Ervin L’Ami (Holland) only with 0.5 points. The results of
the other Armenian chess-players are the following: Tigran L.Petrosian,
Tigran Kotanjian 2 points each, Arman Pashikian 1.5 points. The results
of the representatives of Armenia in the women’s championship are more
modest. Only Elina Danielian among them takes place at the top of the
tournament table. She gained 2 points and lags behind the leaders only
with several points. Another 3 Armenian women chess-players, Lilit
Mkrtchian, Nelli Aghinian and Siranush Andreasian, have 1 point each.

ARMENIAN-POLISH RELATIONS DEVELOP NORMALLY
ArmRadio.am
11.04.2006 15:00
On April 11 Chairman of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan
received the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Armenia Tomash
Knothe.
The Ambassador handed an official invitation to visit Poland. During
the meeting the parties attached importance to the development of
Armenian-Polish interparliamentary ties, the cooperation in the
framework of the EU New Neighbors Program and assistance to Armenia,
as well as the establishment of ties between the regions of the
two countries.
Issues related to the official visit of the President of the Polish
Senate to Armenia were also discussed.

ARMENIAN SOLDIERS WILL STUDY IN MILITARY INSTITUTIONS OF CSTO MEMBER STATES
ArmRadio.am
11.04.2006 15:11
The points of the agreement on training of military cadres of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization member states correspond to
the Armenian Constitution. Such decision has been taken today by the
Constitutional Court of Armenia.
Secretary of the Presidential Council on National Security, Defense
Minister Serge Sargsyan, who was presenting the interests of the
country, declared that the agreement was signed on June 23, 2005 in
Moscow. From the Armenian side the agreement was signed by President
Robert Kocharyan.

NAGORNO KARABAKH MP: COORDINATED NATURE OF AZERBAIJANI EXTERNAL PROPAGANDA SPEAKS OF ABSENCE OF DEMOCRACY
14:36 04/11/2006
“I would not say that we lose in the propagandist war to
Azerbaijan. The thing is, by us the external propaganda is not
coordinated by the authorities, as it is done in the neighboring
republic. This demonstrates that there is no democracy in
Azerbaijan. Media in Nagorno Karabakh can have different opinions on
one and the same issue, which shows the democratic nature of society.
Under the authoritarian rule in Azerbaijan this is practically
impossible,” Chairman of the Constant Commission on External of the
Nagorno Karabakh National Assembly Vagram Atanesyan is quoted as
saying by a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert.
The MP stressed the role of the parliamentary commission in propaganda
of NKR interests, in examining the facts of violence against citizens
of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic by Azerbaijan. He added the commission’s task is to “study
and submit to the international community facts of criminal policy
by Azerbaijan against peaceful settlements in Nagorno Karabakh, in
particular, ethnic purges in the city of Shushi in 1988, facts of
violence and other crimes carried committed during the so-called ‘ID
check’, The Ring operation held jointly by the Azerbaijani Special
Police Forces, internal troops by the USSR Interior Ministry and
USSR Defense Ministry in April-May 1991, facts of appalling massacre
in the village of Maraga, Martakert District, NKR, military crimes
in Shaumyan Dustrict, parts of Martakert and Askeran Districts,
NKR, occupied now by Azerbaijan, and all other criminal actions of
Azerbaijani armed troops towards civil population of Nagorno Karabakh.”
One of the main tasks of the propaganda, believes the MP, is informing
the international community on the essence of the national liberation
fight by the Karabakh people.