CENTER OF CULTURE SUPPORT AND STRATEGY AGAINST ESTABLISHMENT OF
COUNCIL ON CULTURAL ISSUES AT RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, August 9 (Noyan Tapan). “The Council on Cultural Issues
established by the July 16 decree of RA President Robert Kocharian
will deepen the crisis of the Armenian cultural life still more,
distorting and destroying national cultural values, mental faculties.”
Such a statement was made by Armen Hovhannisian, Armen Atanian and
Simon Kamsarakian, Co-Chairmen of the Armenian Center of Culture
Support and Strategy (ACCSS), during the August 6 press conference.

According to A. Atanian, on November 22 of last year the Armenian
Center of Culture Support and Strategy applied to the RA President
with a suggestion on the establishment of the Commission on Issues of
Security and Development of Culture of Armenia. The Co-Chairmen of the
Center met with the RA President in April. The President promised to
answer whether the center will be established or not within three
weeks after the detailed acquaintance with the suggestion.

“18 weeks passed, but we haven’t received an answer yet, of course, if
we don’t consider the July 16 decree as a reply,” A. Atanian
mentioned. According to the organizers of the press conference, “if
the executors and legislators have caused damage to the sphere of
culture, science and education to great extent up to now, now the same
will be made by the RA presidential machinery.”

Nevertheless, the Co-Chairmen of the Center are going to turn to the
RA President with a request to meet in September with the purpose of
the discussion of the problems raised by them.