SVETLANA MANDARYAN’S EXHIBITION IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
National Assembly of RA (press release), Armenia
Sept 6 2005
On September 5 on the initiative of the Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture and Youth of NA was opened Svetlana Mandaryan’s
exhibition in the Green hall of NA on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of the National Assembly.
Hranush Hakobyan, the Chairwoman of the Standing Committee on
Science, Education, Culture and Youth of NA, informed that only
some of the 40 works are presented, which have been drawn with
great inspiration. According to Mrs. Hakobyan, these pictures can
be considered blessed as they have been exhibited in Echmiadzin on
the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of adoption of Christianity
in Armenia as a state religion. Hranush Hakobyan assured that the
MPs will have the occasion to enjoy this exhibition. Mrs. Hakobyan
congratulated Svetlana Mandaryan for being so talented and wished
her new exhibitions.
Svetlana Mandaryan noted that the pictures reflect her individuality
and her space energy. They strengthen the ties between man and space.
Mrs. Mandaryan thanked Hranush Hakobyan for being given this
opportunity. According to the painter, these pictures will inspire
the staff of NA with positive energy.
Hranush Hakobyan informed that the pictures will be exhibited in the
NA till September 16.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA TAKES ‘TIME-OUT’ IN PEACE TALKS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2005
Baku, September 5, AssA-Irada — The next meeting of Azerbaijani
and Armenian foreign ministers may take place after proposals are
made by co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the conflict
settlement, foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told journalists.
Mammadyarov said that Armenia has requested time to consider the
results of the Kazan meeting of the two countries’ presidents. The
mediators are expected to visit the region, he added.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH “SOONER OR LATER” TO BE INVOLVED IN PEACE TALKS – ARMENIAN MINISTER
Mediamax news agency
6 Sep 05
Yerevan, 6 September: “The Armenian side will never discuss an option
for settling the Karabakh conflict which does not secure the Nagornyy
Karabakh people’s right to self-determination,” Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in Yerevan today.
Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan, Oskanyan expressed confidence that
the full-scale negotiation process will resume within the framework
of the OSCE Minsk Group sooner or later.
Oskanyan said that this would be possible only when the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers reach a certain stage in the discussion
of details of the peaceful settlement.
“I think the talks will then resume within the framework of the Minsk
Group. This will mean automatically the participation of Nagornyy
Karabakh’s representatives in the talks,” Oskanyan said.

PREMIER CONCERNED ABOUT TURKISH-AZERI PLANS TO BYPASS ARMENIA
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
6 Sep 05
Yerevan, 6 September: At a meeting with OSCE chairman-in-office
Dimitrij Rupel today, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan
expressed his regret about the actions of Azerbaijan and Turkey to
implement regional projects bypassing Armenia.
The prime minister spoke about the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway while the Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki
railway is ready for operation, the press service of the Armenian
government told Mediamax today. Markaryan said that such initiatives
run counter to the spirit of the European Union’s New Neighbourhood
Policy.
According to the press service of the Armenian government, “sharing the
prime minister’s concern about the issue, the OSCE chairman-in-office
promised that these problems will be taken into account when the talks
on Turkey’s accession to the EU start”. Rupel said that Turkey will
be asked to normalize relations with Armenia and other countries of
the region.

CZECHS, HIT BY INJURIES, NEED WIN OVER ARMENIA IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
By Karel Janicek
SLAM! Sports, Canada
Sept 2-8, 2005
PRAGUE (AP) – The Czech Republic, coming off a 2-0 loss to Romania,
needs a win over Armenia on Wednesday to stay in contention for the
World Cup.
The Czechs dropped to third place in Group 1 with 21 points, one less
than second-place Romania and four behind the leading Netherlands.
The Dutch and the Czechs have played nine matches, while Romania has
played two more games.
Only the eight group winners in Europe and the two best second-placed
teams are assured of advancing. The remaining second-placed teams
enter a two-leg playoff to determine Europe’s three other berths.
“Our goal with this team is nothing but to advance,” Fiorentina
defender Tomas Ujfalusi said. “Nine points from the remaining three
matches should be enough for us to advance directly, I hope. But now,
three points from Wednesday’s game are of key importance.”
The Czechs normally should have little trouble beating Armenian, which
is at the bottom of the table with four points from 10 games. But the
Czechs have been struggling recently with injuries to key players.
The absence of Dortmund playmaker Tomas Rosicky was considered crucial
in the consecutive losses to Romania and Sweden in an Aug 17 friendly,
ending an eight-game winning streak.
Rosicky, who underwent medical checks at a hospital on Sunday, was
still doubtful Tuesday due to a groin injury, said team spokesman
Lukas Tucek. He was joining the team training session to test his
fitness before the game in Olomouc, 220 kilometres east of Prague.
Coach Karel Bruckner called up Sparta Prague midfielder Lukas Zelenka
Tuesday, who will be ready to take Rosicky’s spot.
Also, the Czechs have been without Salzburg striker Vratislav Lokvenc
and Monaco midfielder Jaroslav Plasil through injuries.
AC Milan’s Marek Jankulovski was taken off just minutes into Saturday’s
game for fear he could aggravate an ankle fracture he suffered in
May. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech also complained of shoulder pain
after the match and returned to London for medical checks.
Czech captain Tomas Galasek of Ajax has recovered from a left knee
injury and will be available to fill his defensive midfielder spot,
Tucek said.
Armenia was expected to field an under-strength squad as well.
Midfielders Artur Voskanian and Artash Bagdasarian of the under-21
squad were called up to fill in for injured Gamlet Mkhitarian and David
Grirorian. Aremenia will also be without defender Samvel Melkonian,
who has unspecified problems with his passport, and injured striker
Edgar Manucharian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE CHAIRMAN NOTES CONVERGENCE OF OPINIONS ON KARABAKH DISPUTE
STA news agency, Ljubljana
6 Sep 05
Yerevan, 6 September: Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, the OSCE
chairman, was optimistic about Nagornyy Karabakh after talks with his
Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanyan. There are signs of convergence
of views on the resolution of the conflict, but “the devil is in the
details,” he told the press in Yerevan on Tuesday [6 September].
The Armenian foreign minister also stressed after talks with Rupel
that the two sides have come to a common denominator, but the details,
which he refused to discuss, remain open.
The Nagornyy Karabakh issue will not be resolved if the right of
nations to self-determination is not respected, Oskanyan said. Rupel
added that this principle as well as the principle of territorial
integrity have to be taken into account if a solution is to be reached.
Oskanyan moreover underlined that there is no military solution;
if there was one, it would have been found already, for Armenia won
the war for Nagornyy Karabakh twice. “It is better to focus on peace
negotiations… [ellipsis as received] than rely on the military
option.”
According to him, the fact that an oil pipeline will be built from
Azerbaijan’s Baku through Georgia and on to Turkey speaks in favour
of peace. If Azerbaijan were to opt for war, it would be in its own
interest only, he stressed.
[Passage omitted on background]
Asked about the possibility that the negotiations might stall due
to the November general election in Azerbaijan, Rupel noted that in
politics important decisions are not taken in the run-up to elections.
Meanwhile, he does not think that the planned Armenian referendum
on constitutional reform might affect the talks. “Preparatory work
can continue, but decisions will have to wait.” [Passage omitted –
already covered]

CZECH REP. VS. ARMENIA
AsianHandicap.com, UK
Sept 6 2005
Match League Date
Czech Rep. v Armenia WC 2006 QL Europe 7.9.2005
Home Handicap Away Pick
1,950 0:2 1/2 1,750 HOME
World Cup 06 UEFA Qualifiers Group 1
Tables of Group 1:
1. Netherlands,…..9, 8W, 1D, 0L, 21-3, (25).
2. Romania,………..11, 7W, 1D, 3L, 19-10,
(22). 3. Czech,……………9, 7W, 0D, 2L, 28-9,
(21). 4. Finland,………….9, 4W, 1D, 4L, 16-14,
(13). 5. Macedonia,…….10, 2W, 2D, 6L, 10-19,
(8). 6. Andorra,…………10, 1W, 2D, 7L, 4-27, (5).
7. Armenia,………..10, 1W, 1D, 8L, 5-21, (4).
I saw Fonbet has been offering the interesting prices for this match.
Initially fonbet gave the mad prices Czechia -2.5 @ 1.75, but they
changed swiftly become -3 @ 1.95, and I think that is good price.
Armenia is worst team in this group. On last weekend they succeed
only concede one goal when against Holland. But on this midweek they
have to traveling to Praha, Czechia… and with -3 handicaps I feel
underweight to be passed by Czechia.
After lost 0-2 when traveled to Rumania on last weekend, Czechia team
reside in the third position with 21 points but still has 3 matches
remain. After facing Armenia, they have to experience big contention
against Holland on 08/10, so that victory conclusively have to be
obtained from Armenia to protect the second positions and add the
pressure to Holland before they meeting, or at least to pursue one
of two tickets as best runner up.
Armenia had bad record in away games, always lost (3-0 vs Macedonia;
3-1 vs Finland; 2-0 vs Holland; 3-0 vs Romania). While Czechia
always got the impressive pickings when they played at home, with
records always win (1-0 vs Romania; 4-3 vs Finland; 8-1 vs Andorra;
6-1 vs Macedonia).
I have a notion Czechia -3.25 or – 3.5 are fair handicaps for this
match (Pinnacle has offered Czechia -3.25 @ 1.92), thereby -3 handicap
which the marketed by Fonbet is a safe bet. Take it with medium stakes
before changing…!!!
Good luck and always smile for win or loss…..!!!!!

LESSONS FOR A MOLOKAN
by Onnik Krikorian
Transitions Online, Czech Republic
5 September 2005
How can one educate Armenia’s equivalent of the Amish? From UNICEF
Armenia.
FIOLETOVO, Armenia | It’s not often that you encounter a village
that makes you feel like an “outsider” in Armenia but this is one of
the few that do, and in every sense of the word. It’s not that the
residents of this ethnically homogenous village made up of Russian
Molokans don’t like visitors. It’s simply that their presence is not
considered essential for Fioletovo to survive and prosper.
The Molokans are Russians that split from the Russian Orthodox Church
in the 17th Century. Fioletovo, a village inhabited by less than
1,500 people, is the largest community outside of Yerevan. Their
total population in Armenia stands at just 5,000 although 14 years
earlier, when independence was declared, there were approximately
12,000 Molokans living in the republic. Since then, most have left.
To call the community “closed” is not too far from the truth. Apart
from venturing out of Fioletovo and nearby Lermontovo to sell their
famous sauerkraut at market, the village resembles a traditional
Russian enclave cut off from the rest of Armenia. You might even be
forgiven for thinking you had entered a settlement somewhere deep in
the heart of Russia.
Many consider the Molokans as something akin to the Amish in the
United States.
True, the Molokans use motorized vehicles but otherwise, alcohol
is forbidden as is marriage outside the community. And, for the more
strict adherents to the faith, so is television. Streets are impeccably
clean with every other house sporting a fresh coat of paint. The men
wear long beards that haven’t been cut in years while most of the
women cover their heads.
Their fiercely blonde and blue-eyed children are unable to communicate
in any language other than Russian.
And herein lies the problem. As idyllic and refreshing as the scene
might be, the situation in terms of education is just the opposite.
In fact, according to a recent survey of education in national minority
communities by the Hazarashen Armenian Centre of Ethnological Studies,
“Molokans continue retaining [their] virtues over education and thus,
the inertia of perceiving education as secondary continues.”
The report, conducted for Armenia’s education ministry and the
National Statistics Service was made possible through the financial
and technical support of UNICEF. It follows a generic survey on
education in Armenia held during 2001. Then, UNICEF discovered that
school drop-out rates for national minority communities, in addition
to those made up of refugees, were twice the national average.
As a result, one of the recommendations from that 2001 report was to
conduct a new assessment but specifically focusing on national minority
communities. Although Armenia is considered a largely mono-ethnic
country, 2.2 percent of the population comprises ethnic groups such
as Yezidis, Assyrians, Russians and Jews. The report chose to focus
on the three largest in the republic – the Yezidis and Kurds, the
Assyrians, and the Russian Molokans.
“We discovered that there were no problems whatsoever in the Assyrian
community,” says Marine Soukhudyan, UNICEF’s Education Project
Officer. “Historically, as well as culturally, the Assyrian community
values education highly and does everything it can to ensure that
their children receive a normal education. Of course, there is still
a problem with the availability of textbooks and this is a serious
issue for every minority community in Armenia.”
Like the Molokans, the Assyrians receive much of their own education
in Russian but the textbooks that exist are mainly left over from
the Soviet era and do not comply with the requirements of the
new curriculum. There is also an insufficient quantity of teaching
materials in minority languages, but Soukhudyan says that the National
Institute of Education in Armenia is currently contacting intellectuals
within each community to address this problem.
However, she says that there are more serious concerns. “For example,
during the last 15 years, only a handful of children from minority
communities entered higher education,” she explains. “We also
discovered that in Yezidi communities, children attend school for
two to five months on average per year. At first, we thought this was
connected to poverty but later, we discovered that this reflected an
attitude within the community towards education.”
“With the exception of the Assyrians, the Molokan and Yezidi
communities prioritize labor,” continues Soukhudyan. “There is also
a great difference between attitudes towards education for girls
compared to boys. In many communities, grade 8 is considered the end
of the education cycle. This is mandatory under Armenian law but the
real picture is hidden away by many other factors.”
Children from national minority communities are instead expected to
tend the fields and shepherd livestock rather than attend school. The
UNICEF-funded report also noted that some Molokan families have even
been known to pull their children out of school as early as the second
or third grade.
“Parents think that 3 years of education is enough for a child to
know how to sell milk, cabbage and count 10 eggs, which means that
the child will be able to earn money,” says the report, summarizing
the attitude of Molokans in Lermontovo towards education. “Having a
full stomach is better than having an education.”
Education in minority communities is therefore seasonal and governed
by the agricultural calendar. At the same time, because teachers in
rural communities are also engaged in farming, they have no interest
in recording low attendance figures because they too are absent.
Soukhudyan calls it a “mutually beneficial situation for both teachers
and the families of schoolchildren.”
Indeed, when the survey team for the report visited Lermontovo
in August during harvest time, there was not a single child in the
village. Even pre-school children had been sent to help their parents
in the fields. Every year, they work there until mid-October and
sometimes, the beginning of November.
Even so, school work is still marked as “satisfactory” although
children have learned little or next to nothing. In some cases,
especially in Yezidi communities, pupils and teachers cannot even
communicate with each other. In these communities, while the teachers
are Armenian, each new intake of children from Yezidi families can
hardly understand anything other than their mother tongue.
“Textbooks are also in Armenian but it takes two or three years
before Yezidi children can understand the language,” says Soukhudyan.
“Until then, the child’s development is frustrated and, actually,
prevented. There are some Yezidi teachers, of course, but as they
generally come from other villages, there is also the problem of
transportation, especially during the winter months.”
Armenian teachers sometimes use body language instead of words to
“explain and impart knowledge to students.”
And while adverse socio-economic conditions faced by rural settlements,
as well as the poor upkeep of village schools, are detrimental to
education, the main problem is cultural. This is especially true for
females. “There are those who even consider education dangerous for a
girl,” says the report. “They reason that an educated woman may have
ideas and not be as obedient to men.”
However, despite these obstacles, there are children in minority
communities that would like to enter higher education. In the Yezidi
village of Zovuni, for example, one girl cries as she tells of her
inability to study French when she finishes school. Another Yezidi
girl says that if given the opportunity, she would like to study,
and later teach, Armenian language and literature.
Key to effectively addressing this issue, however, will be to launch
a public awareness campaign highlighting the importance of education
among national minority communities. The governor of the Aragatsotn
region in Armenia has already committed himself to supporting UNICEF
in this endeavor. In particular, there will be a specific focus on
teaching Yezidi and Molokan children the Armenian language from an
early age, especially in pre-schools.
UNICEF will also supply 100 schools in five regions of Armenia with
“school in a box” kits that contain essential supplies to meet
the needs of 8,000 schoolchildren. The kits will also be supplied
to vulnerable Armenian communities, especially those situated in
depressed border regions.
“It is my dream to become a doctor,” says one girl in Lermontovo,
“but how can a Molokan enter university? We can’t receive a higher
education because we don’t know Armenian. Nobody here does.”
Onnik Krikorian is a journalist and photographer based in Yerevan.
This article first appeared on the website of UNICEF Armenia.
;IdPublication=4&NrIssue=131&NrSection=3&NrArticle=14430&tpid=36

OSCE CHAIRMAN CITES RAPPROCHEMENT IN AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA TALKS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2005
Baku, September 5, AssA-Irada
The OSCE is closely following the results of the meeting of Azeri
and Armenian presidents in the Russian Volga river city of Kazan,
OSCE chairman-in-office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
said after meeting the head of the Azerbaijani community of Upper
Garabagh Nizami Bahmanov in Baku on Monday. Bahmanov told reporters
after the meeting that Kazan talks are of great importance. “The OSCE
chairman said that although no documents were signed at the meeting,
a considerable rapprochement (between the two sides) was observed.” The
OSCE will continue working in this area, he said. During the meeting
with Rupel, Bahmanov stated his objection over the fact that Armenian
President Robert Kocharian’s participated at the event dedicated to
the so-called ‘independence day’ of the separatist regime of Upper
Garabagh. The OSCE chairman, in turn, promised to discuss the matter
with the Armenian leader during his visit to Yerevan. Bahmanov and
Rupel also discussed the settlement of Armenians in the occupied
Azeri territories and issues related to providing conditions for
Upper Garabagh’s Armenian residents to take part in Azerbaijan’s
parliament election this fall. The OSCE chairman vowed to work toward
re-settlement of Armenian residents from the occupied land.*

Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2005
PREPARATIONS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN SHOULD BE DONE MORE PROFESSIONALLY THAN PREVIOUS YEARS, CE SEC-GEN URGES
“The preparations for the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan
should be implemented in more professional way than the previous years
and discuss the issue with Azerbaijani leadership, Terry Davis, the
Council of Europe Secretary General, said in Heydar Aliyev airport
on 4 September.
Davis noted that his current visit to Baku was dedicated to appraisal
of the pre-elections situation in Azerbaijan and Karabakh conflict
would be left untouched.
“Now the organization of fair and democratic elections in Azerbaijan
is on focus. It is of paramount importance for the future of
Azerbaijan,” the CE Secretary General underlined. Besides, the
democratic elections could have positive impact on the process of
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, he added. Till
recent period I had been closely involved in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the CE and today I attentively observe over the negotiation process,
said Davis, underlining the role of the OSCE Minsk Group.
In reply to question on possible reconsideration of a mandate of
the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation at the PACE in case the
elections fell short of democratic standards Davis voice his hope
that the preparations for the parliamentary elections would be more
professional as compared to previous ones and upon the announcement of
the results of elections the PACE will state its position on the issue.
Commenting on the CE position on the Armenian President tour of he
occupied Azerbaijani lands Davis said, “I arrived in Azerbaijan,
but not Armenia and I am not going to discuss the actions by Armenian
President Robert Kocharian.
Asked on possibility of a revolution in Azerbaijan Davis noted that
he did not came to Baku to support any political party, but assist
in the organization of fair and democratic elections. “Azerbaijan is
a democratic state and only the people of Azerbaijan have a right to
elect their government and the way of progress. I am sure that the
support will strengthen the interests in opening open elections,”
he underlined.
In the end Davis said that the forthcoming October session of
the PACE will not discuss the issue linked with the situation in
Azerbaijan. “As far as I know issues linked with the results of
the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan will be considered at a
Januarys session of the PACE, which is to mull reports by the OSCE
and different international organizations on the elections process
and results of voting,” CE Secretary General said.
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