ARMENIAN MEMORIAL VANDALIZED IN FRANCE AHEAD OF GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY
AP Worldstream
Apr 18, 2006
A memorial in southeast France honoring those killed in what Armenians
call a genocide by Ottoman Turks was vandalized just a week before
it was to be unveiled, Armenian organizations said.
The memorial in Lyon was scrawled with graffiti reading, “There was no
genocide,” according to the Committee for the Defense of the Armenian
Cause, and the Council of Armenian Organizations in France.
The groups expressed indignation at the incident, which occurred
Monday, and demanded tight security for the unveiling of the monument
April 24 and for other commemorations that day around France.
April 24 is when Armenian communities around the world mark the
killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. Turks
claim the number of deaths is inflated and say the victims were killed
in civil unrest.

AZERI POLICE FOIL DEMO PROTESTING AT HUNGARIAN VERDICT
Turan news agency
17 Apr 06
Baku, 17 April: A group of young people today attempted to stage an
unauthorized demonstration in support of [Azerbaijani army officer]
Ramil Safarov convicted in Hungary [of killing an Armenian officer].
Police foiled the attempt.
Several hundred students attempted to march along Huseyn Cavid Avenue
towards the Martyrs’ Avenue. However, numerous police officers stopped
the protesters and dispersed them. The students made several attempts
to break through police lines, which led to clashes with the police.
The bitterest clashes took place near Space TV company. Several
protesters sustained serious injuries.
Traffic on Huseyn Cavid Avenue was suspended because of the clashes
which caused traffic jams. Police detained about 20 protesters.
On 13 April, a Hungarian court sentenced Azerbaijani officer Ramil
Safarov to life in prison for killing an Armenian officer on 19
February 2004.

THE FRENCH UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA WISHES ITS GRADUATES TO BE OF USE FOR ARMENIA
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. ‘We want our graduates to be of use for
Armenia,’ said in an interview to ArmInfo correspondent Paul Rousset,
rector of the French University of Armenia Foundation (Fondation
Universite Francaise en Armenie).
The University was founded in 2000 by the initiative of the French
Embassy in Armenia and the present Speaker of the National Assembly
of Armenia Arthur Bagdasarian. In 2003 the university assumed status
of an international foundation. It has an Administrative Council,
consisting of 4 representatives from each side – Armenia and France.
The President of the University (office held by Arthur Bagdasarian
at present) is elected by the Administrative Council. The candidate
for rectors office must be a professor of any French university
and is suggested by the French side. Third-year students of the
French University become also students of the ‘Jean Moulin Lion 3’
university, France and get a double graduation diploma – a French
and an Armenian one.
Mr. Rousset said that the baccalaureate of the University has three
faculties – juristic, management and trade and marketing. The
university has 700 students at present. 20 students from abroad
study at the university, half of them are from Iran. Last year the
French University had its first graduates and some of the graduates
continued their education in the magistrate. Education at eth French
university also implies perfect apprehension of foreign languages –
English, French, Russian and also German.
Paul Rousset informed that a number of French educational programs
serve as grounds for the educational process, as the University’s
regulation envisages passing the French educational experience to
the Armenian side. In particular, such programs are being applied at
the law department. In response to the question whether the Armenian
graduates of the University may get jobs abroad, particularly in
France, Mr. Rousset emphasized that they prepare good specialists for
Armenia. At the same time, he added that their best students undergo
practical courses in France. For example, 40 students were sent to
France, last year.
Mr. Rousset emphasized that till now not a single student of the
University had to leave it because of financial problems. “The tuition
fees amounts to AMD 400-500 thousand per a year,” he said. He added
that the university provides a system of flexible tuition fees,
that helps to decrease the volume of the tuition fees thanks to the
good progress of the students. The University collaborates with the
Armenian Association for Social Aid and the Yerevan Brandy Factory
to render financial assistance to the financially insecure students,
including disabled students and the students from the regions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAQI FUNDAMENTALISTS MAKE ARMENIAN WINNER OF “MISS IRAQ” CONTEST RENOUNCE HER TITLE
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. Tamara Goregyan, Armenian by origin,
had to renounce her Title “Miss Iraq” threatened by the Islamic
fundamentalist grouping. A second Armenian winner of the Title “Miss
Iraq” Silva Sahakyan also has to hide herself from fundamentalists.
Referring to the Associated Press, RFE/RL reports that 4 days
after the secret beauty contest “Miss Iraq” on April 9, the winner
Tamara Goregyan had to renounce her title and find shelter in Jordan
threatened by Islamic fundamentalist organizations. Then, “Miss Iraq”
title was proposed to a second and a third winners – Muslims.
However, they also had to refuse from the crown. At last, the title
was conferred on the Armenian Silva Sahakyan, who occupied the fourth
place in the contest. Now, she is also threatened. The source reports
that Silva Sahakyan is currently hiding herself, but she has not
renounced her title.

FILMS TELLING ABOUT ECOLOGY PROBLEM OF ARMENIA TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN YEREVAN
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. Two documentary films “City Turning into
Desert” and “Threads of Hope” telling about Armenia’s ecological
problems will be demonstrated at Yerevan Experimental-Innovative
Center of Art on April 18, Armenia Tree Project told ArmInfo.
Both the films ( by 25 minutes each) were shot by the “Vem Media Arts”
Studio. The film “City Turning into Desert” brings an unbiased picture
of the liquidating green areas of Yerevan and the effect on the public
health. The second film “Threads of Hope” is devoted to the problem of
Lake Sevan waterlogging and the disastrous consequences of uncontrolled
fishing. The films aims to attract the public attention to the
ecology problems of Armenia. A number of international organizations,
including WWF, funded the films and intend to continue the action of
shooting similar films. They think that documentary facts can become
a specific counteraction to the idleness of officials.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES DECISION TO LIQUIDATE YEREVAN K. DEMIRCHYAN SPORT AND CULTURE CENTER
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. On April 13 the Armenian Government made a
decision to liquidate Yerevan K. Demirchyan Sport and Culture Center,
which bears no relation to the deal on the sale of K. Demirchyan
Sport and Concert Complex (SCC) to the company “Bamo,” reliable
sources told ArmInfo.
The procedure connected with registration of the SCC property
privatization and liquidation of the earlier operating state
non-commercial organization is in question. The given governmental
decision proceeds from the Law “On state non- commercial
organizations.” The news agency ArmInfo misunderstood the above
decision. Hence, the information that the deal with “Bamo” was
broken allegedly for non-fulfillment of the contractual commitments
by the company does not correspond to reality. ArmInfo presents its
apologies for the inaccuracy in the information to “Bamo” company
and to its readers.

AZERBAIJANI NEWSPAPER: FREQUENT CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH CRITICISM ADDRESSED TO AZERBAIJANI DM S. ABIYEV
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. The frequent cease-fire violations
on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces are
directly connected with the criticism addressed to Defense Minister
of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev, writes military correspondent of the
newspaper “Realniy Azerbaijan” Jan-Mirza Mirzoyev in his article
“President is no authority for Abiyev.”
“In one of my previous articles I mentioned that the cease-fire and
the situation of undeclared war helped S. Abiyev keep his post for
some fatal fortunity (regularity?). Every time when his person was
subjected to harsh criticism and the wave of indignation reached
Mass Media, exchange of fire was starting on the front line and the
cease-fire was being violated,> J. Mirzoyev writes. “One can speak
of a fatal regularity of cease-fire violations now. The wave of
accusatory articles about the activity of the defense minister was
arousing a splash of activity on the delimitation line. At first it
was by chance, for the second time it was just a coincidence, and for
the third time it became a system,> Mirzoyev says. He adds that such
connections must be revealed by relevant bodies and any reference to
external forces is inappropriate “as everything is much more prosaic.>
Mirzoyev believes that hot news on cease-fire violations and the
military valor of “the hungry, barefoot and untrained Azerbaijani
soldiers” creates patriotic sentiments in public. Simultaneously,
subconsciously the citizens think that in the period of a new
Armenian attack, S. Abiyev should be protected against criticism and
suspensions, the correspondent writes.
“False impression! The soldiers, officers on the front line guard
us and die for us and never the rat-generals in the rear who take
to soldier’s ration,> Mirzoyev writes. The Defense Ministry data
say that the cease-fire violations for the last three months killed
18 servicemen and wounded 12. “What losses did the Armenian party
suffer? Armenian Defense Ministry sources and Mass Media report
that the Azerbaijani party “repeatedly violates the cease-fire;
return fire neutralizes the enemy weapon emplacements,” but nothing
about killed or wounded. No victims! What is it? Misinformation? So,
who the fire was exchanged with?> Miszoyev asks.

WITHER AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE CONTRADICTS TO ITSELF?
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
press-service in the person of its employee Ilgar Verdiyev accuses
Armenia “of violating the cease-fire and killing Azerbaijani soldiers”
again. “Since the establishment of the cease-fire regime majority
of soldiers have died from the bullets of Armenians and not from
harassment among servicemen,” I. Berdiyev told Interfax- Azerbaijan.
Commenting on PACE report on the situation with human rights at
armies of CE member-states which indicates that about 5 thousand
of soldiers died due to harassment among servicemen at Azerbaijani
armies since 1994, I. Verdiyev said: “70% of Azerbaijani armies are
located on the front line, so the greatest part of deaths are recorded
there. A few soldiers die for other reasons i.e. from careless use of
weapons, different types of accidents. Such cases result in a criminal
investigation. There is no harassment among servicemen in Azerbaijan.”
Probably, Mr. Verdiyev is unaware of the information of Day.az dated
April 4 2006. Thus, the monitoring held by the Azerbaijani agency
APA and approved by the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry (DM) says 18
servicemen were killed and 6 were injured for different reasons at
the Azerbaijani army within the first three months of 2006. Four
servicemen were killed in fire, 5 in an accident, 2 in a snow-slide.
One committed a suicide, whereas “6 were killed by the enemy bullets.”
Five officers, 2 warrant officers, 1 sergeant and 10 conscripts died,
including outside the military action zone.

MONEY IN THE FACE OF YEREVAN
Lragir.am
17 April 06
In the first quarter of 2006 over 14 billion 986 million drams was
spent on social programs in Yerevan instead of the foreseen 14 billion
920 million drams, which is 100.44 per cent of the estimated sum,
informs ARKA News Agency. Mayor Yervand Zakharyan gave these facts on
April 17. Besides, the mayor said the collections of community budgets
totaled 294.7 million drams in the first quarter of 2006 instead of
the estimated 323.8 million. At the same time, the mayor said against
the same period of the previous year the community budget receipts
were more by 680.5 million drams.
Hence it is good luck that heavy snow came this winter and not last
year. Because if with a 680 million increase the snow remained in
the street until spring, it is impossible to imagine the state of
the city with less money.

TEACHING IN ARMENIA EXPO 2006
Lragir.am
17 April 06
>From April 17 to 19 the fifth international expo Teaching in Armenia
2006 will be held in Yerevan. The expo was organized by Expo Service
and the Ministry of Education and Science. For the first time the
educational institutions of Karabakh, Vanadzor, Gavar and Gyumri will
participate in this annual expo. About 30 educational institutions
participate in the exposition. The organizers say such expos help
senior schoolchildren make up their minds. Besides, round-table
meetings will be held, and the participants will be able to exchange
experience.