Armenian News

DISCUSSION OF AZERI RESOLUTION PUT OFF AT U.N.
news.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

The discussion of Azerbaijan's resolution on occupied territories at
the U.S. General Assembly is to take place on September 9, the U.N.
official website reports. The document was to have been discussed on
September 7.

Talking to NEWS.am, Vice-Speaker of the RA Parliament, RPA Board
member Samvel Nikoyan pointed out that any forecasts concerning
the documents are too early to make now. Votes on resolutions are
often spontaneous at international institutions. "Many delegations
do not even examine the document they vote on," Nikoyan said. He
stressed that Azerbaijan will certainly try to enlist the support
of the members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
- or have already done so. "These states' position is conditioned
by their religious identity," Nikoyan said. The Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is not a religious problem, but that of peoples' right to
self-determination. "In this context, many of the OIC member-states
were and are actively involved in recognizing the Palestinian and
Kosovo peoples' right to self-determination. So it is not yet clear
what will be the OIC member-states' final decision," Nikoyan said.

Official Yerevan is doing its best to block the Azeri resolution
at the U.N. "I must say, however, that the organization has adopted
several resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh since 1992, but none of them
was implemented. So the new one will only join the list of failed
documents. But even in this case, the approval of one more resolution
not in the Armenian side's favor is undesirable," Nikoyan said.

The Azeri resolution points out the necessity for return of Azerbaijani
refugees and the unacceptability of destruction of cultural monuments
"in the occupied territories."

TOP THREE ARMENIAN CHURCH LEADERS BOYCOTT TURKISH
SHOW IN AKHTAMAR
By Harut Sassounian
2010/09/08 | 11:59

The Turkish scheme of luring Armenian Church leaders to participate
in a religious show at Holy Cross (Sourp Khach) Church on Akhtamar
Island, Lake Van, backfired last week.

The heads of three Hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Church -
in Armenia, Lebanon, and Jerusalem - will neither attend nor send
representatives to the celebration of Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross
Church on September 19. All three turned down the invitation of
Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, Deputy Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Turkey.

Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia, headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon, was
the first to announce that he would boycott the Sept. 19 ceremonies.

In this regard, the Catholicosate announced: "In an attempt to convince
the European Union and UNESCO that Turkey safeguards the cultural
heritage of its occupied lands, the Turkish government restored the
Holy Cross Armenian Church, but instead of keeping it as a church,
transformed it into a museum." It described the ceremonies orchestrated
by Turkey as "an attempt to obscure its consistent policy of denying
the Armenian Genocide and the rights of its survivors."

The Holy See of Etchmiadzin, on the other hand, had initially announced
that it would send to Akhtamar two high-ranking clergymen.

In an earlier column, this writer had expressed the wish that Karekin
II, Catholicos of All Armenians, would reconsider his decision. Last
week, after the Turkish government broke its promise to place a cross
atop the Holy Cross Church, the Catholicos, as expected, withdrew
Etchmiadzin's participation from the Sept. 19 ceremonies.

The third Hierarchical See, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
had initially decided to dispatch to Akhtamar Archbishop Aris
Shirvanian, Director of Ecumenical and Foreign Affairs and Chairman
of the Patriarchate's Holy Synod. When questioned about his planned
attendance, Archbishop Shirvanian told this writer on Sept. 5 that in
line with the decision of Holy Etchmiadzin, he would not participate
in the church service, because of Turkey's refusal to install a cross
on the dome of the Holy Cross Church.

All three church leaders now have a unified position on this issue.

They are to be commended for their decision not to support a political
show sponsored by the Turkish regime, under the guise of a religious
ceremony!

Regrettably, the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, the fourth
Hierarchical See of the Armenian Church, is still planning to
participate in the Sept. 19 show, despite the fact that the Turkish
government lied to Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshyan, and refused to
restore the promised cross on the church's dome. The Governor of Van
made the ridiculous claim that the Turkish state did not have the
technical means to lift the 400 lb. cross to the top of the church.

All those who bought airline tickets and booked hotel rooms, misled
by Turkey's false promises, should promptly cancel their trip, demand
a refund and an apology from Turkish authorities for their deceptive
bait and switch tactics!

Even though Archbishop Ateshyan is a hostage of the Turkish regime and
therefore does not have the freedom to take independent decisions,
he risks losing all credibility with Armenians worldwide and all
three Hierarchical Sees, should he go ahead and celebrate Mass in
what Turkish officials describe as the "Akdamar Memorial Museum!" He
should threaten not to show up at the Holy Cross Church on Sept. 19,
unless Ankara installs the promised cross. Turkish officials would
have to take his threat seriously, because without him there would
be no religious ceremony. His absence would turn Turkey's expected
propaganda coup into a public relations nightmare!

The last important actor in the Sept. 19 "extravaganza" is the Armenian
government. While large segments of the public in Armenia have reacted
strongly against Ankara's once a year church service in the Holy
Cross "museum," little has been heard from Yerevan officials on this
subject. Last month, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that it
has not received an official invitation from Turkey. It is generally
assumed that Armenian officials would refuse to participate in such a
scandalous show, particularly after Ankara tricked Armenia's leaders
into signing the Armenia-Turkey Protocols, without any intention to
ratify them.

Just as the Turkish government inadvertently protected Armenia's
interests by refusing to ratify the Protocols, this time around, Ankara
is causing Armenians to refrain from participating in this charade
by breaking its promise to place a cross atop the Holy Cross Church!

FIRM IN ARMENIA IS FINALIST FOR STATE DEPT. EXCELLENCE
AWARD
asbarez
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

WASHINGTON-Synopsys in Armenia is one of 12 finalists selected for the
Secretary of State's prestigious 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence.

Synopsys was chosen for the software and programming company's
promotion of U.S. and foreign investors by showcasing Armenia as a
potential informational technology hub; collaboration with universities
on IT training programs; and reduction of pollution levels by planting
hundreds of trees to counter recent deforestation

These U.S. companies were chosen from a record number of 78 nominations
submitted by American ambassadors around the world. ACE finalists
are international business leaders who recognize the vital role that
U.S. businesses play abroad as good corporate citizens.

The Secretary of State has awarded the ACE since 1999 to recognize
U.S. businesses for advancing good corporate citizenship, innovation,
and democratic principles. The Department of State is committed to
working with business to further these best practices worldwide and
to recognize efforts to improve lives at home and abroad. The 2010
ACE winners will be announced at the annual ceremony hosted by the
Secretary of State later this fall.


RFE/RL Report
Armenian School Bill Again Amended
08.09.2010
Karine Kalantarian

In yet another attempt to placate critics, the Armenian government has
again altered a controversial bill that would allow the existence of
schools where the main language of instruction is not Armenian.

The bill involving amendments to Armenia's laws on the state language
and public education was twice watered down before being passed by
parliament in the first reading in June. In particular, the government
agreed to restrict to two the number of private foreign-language
schools that would be allowed to operate in the country. They would
have to be located only in the resort towns of Dilijan and Jermuk.

The existing version of the bill also stipulates that up to nine
foreign-language high schools can be opened elsewhere in Armenia in
accordance with inter-governmental agreements signed on a case-by-case
basis.

Education Minister Armen Ashotian told RFE/RL's Armenian service on
Wednesday that the government last month edited a legal amendment
which says Armenian is the language of instruction in the country's
schools `except cases specified by the law.' He said that was changed
to `cases of instruction in foreign languages.'

Ashotian described that change as `very important' and criticized
opposition parties and other critics of the bill for refusing to
acknowledge that. `None of our critics has read [the newly amended
draft,]' he claimed.

`This new change does not dispel our worries at all,' said Lilit
Galstian, a parliament deputy from the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). `I even see a contradiction
here.'

Galstian said Dashnaktsutyun and another opposition party represented
in the Armenian parliament, Zharangutyun, will try to clinch more
government concessions at upcoming parliamentary hearings on the
issue. `The government should reckon with public opinion,' she said.

The National Assembly is due to vote on the bill in the second and
final reading after those readings.

Aram Apatian, a leader of a non-partisan pressure group vehemently
campaigning against foreign-language schools, also dismissed the
latest government concession, saying that the bill must be scrapped
altogether. `We demand that these proposals be withdrawn by the
government or rejected by the National Assembly,' Apatian told RFE/RL.


BRAIN DRAIN REMAINS LARGE PROBLEM FOR ARMENIAN
SCIENCE: CHAIRMAN
ARKA
September 8, 2010
YEREVAN

Brain drain remains still a large problem for Armenian science and
what is being done to reverse it is insufficient, lamented today
Samvel Harutyunian, chairman of Science Committee, an affiliation of
education and science ministry.

'Science is an open system because it is unable to progress without
international cooperation, but many Armenian specialists and
researchers choose to travel abroad and never come back,' he said.

Speaking at a news conference he said finding a solution to this
'painful' problem depends also on the efficiency of education reforms.

Harutyunian said the number of relating problems will diminish once
the educational system begins preparing specialists demanded by the
local market.

'Over the last years the government has been taking steps to correct
the situation, but financing remains key to solving it. The annual
government funding of science is about $24 million and along with
grants the figure rises to $30 million. This is not a big amount
and naturally Armenian specialist look for better jobs outside the
country,' he said.

But he could not say how many skilled Armenian specialist left abroad,,
saying only the brain drain process was a dynamic one.



ARMENIAN QARAHUNGE MEGALITHIC COMPLEX OLDER THAN
STONEHENGE
PanARMENIAN.Net
September 7, 2010 - 15:21 AMT 10:21 GMT

Vachagan Vahradian, senior fellow of "Stars & Stones 2010: Oxford
University Expedition to Qarahunge, Armenia", stated that the research
carried out in Qarahunge megalithic complex proved Armenia to be one
of the most ancient astronomy centers.

The specialists concluded that Qarahunge (also known as Zorats Karer)
is older that Stonehenge.

"Qarahunge can become a unique site attracting thousands of tourists
from all over the world," Vahradian said.

DEMAND FOR ARMENIAN CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
GROWING IN RUSSIA
Fresh PLaza
Sept 6 2010
Netherlands

Deputy Director of Artsakh Fruit CJSC Seyran Hovhannisyan said that
the demand for traditional Armenian canned food is continuously
growing in Russia.

Through its participation in ARMENIA EXPO 2010, the company wants to
present its production in Armenia, in expectation of signing agreements
with foreign buyers, Hovhannisyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Meanwhile, production of the Karabakh cannery is imported to Armenia
at low volumes. 37 types of jams, marinades and other traditional
Armenian canned goods are produced by Artsakh Fruit and basically
exported to Russia.

2112.3t of canned food was produced in Armenia in January-July 2010
that is 13.4% more as compared with the same period in 2009.

Production of canned vegetables and tomatoes totaled 667.1t and
624.1t respectively. In addition, 477.2 tons of canned fruits (-14.8%)
were produced in January-July 2010.