‘ARMENIA IS A WONDERFUL COUNTRY’
Azg/arm
6 April 05
Minister of Public Education of Geneva Canton Admired with his
Ancestors’ Land
Charles Beer, minister of public education in Swiss canton of Geneva,
is visiting Armenian for the first time. The short stay made him
believe that Armenia is a wonderful country though there is much to
do in the sphere of infrastructures.
Minister Beer, being the great-grandson of Rostom Zorian, one of
founders of Armenian Revolutionary Party, visited several regions
of Armenia including towns of Dilijan and Tsaghkadzor. “Authorities
in Geneva sent me to Armenia to supervise implementation of programs
that we launched here”, he says.
Partners of the Geneva canton in these programs are the Swiss offshoot
of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) (president Mrs. Talin
Avagian) and the Fund of Social Investments of Armenia (FSIA). The
canton covers the part of expenses that the community is unable to
cover, i.e. investment is done on behalf of the community.
10 percent of FSIA programs is usually financed by the community where
the project is unfolded. Albert Stepanian, head of the Education
Department of FSIA, says that the Fund often helps communities to
find a benefactor or an organization.
“We got to know the Swiss through AGBU. We present the program, its
character, cost, and the Swiss, the Geneva canton, decides whether
to finance or not or which program to finance”, Stepanian says.
Minister Charles Beer enumerates all community programs both
implemented and in process that were sponsored by the Geneva canton:
repair of Artik hospital’s roof, repair of water pipelines in villages
of Shirak and Tavush regions.
10 percent of the money assigned for every project falls on the Geneva
canton. Stepanian says that the Swiss assigned $14 thousand for the
roof repair of a hospital in Dilijan, $12 thousand for the water
program in Kokhb, $7 thousand for construction of water pipelines
and a reservoir in the village of Akunq.
Minister Beer is sure that their money is spent on right things. Two
years ago another Swiss minister, minister of economics, arrived
in Armenia to control the programs. The canton of Geneva has a
special budget for “international friendship” which allocates money
for projects in developing countries. A new program for repairing
Tsaghkadzor sewage system was presented to Charles Beer during
his visit.
Minister Beers highlights another side of Armenian-Swiss relations
as well: “Geneva has tight ties with the Armenians. Many Armenians
found refuge in Geneva after the Genocide, and many Armenian orphans
were brought up there”.
On December 10 of 2001, the Geneva canton adopted a statement
officially recognizing the Armenian genocide of 1915. Charles Beer,
being a deputy at that time, tried hard to bring the massacres in
the Ottoman Empire to recognition.
There are around 1000 Armenians in Geneva. The minister says that
a local Armenian organization, Utopiana, often arranges cultural
events. Charles Beer met also with the minister of education and
sciences of Armenia during his stay and is hopeful that they may
cooperate in this sphere as well.
By Tatoul Hakobian