ARKA News Agency
Sept 27 2004
RA Ambassador to US and Rector of University of Connecticut discuss
perspectives of cooperation in the sphere of education
Training courses for local doctors held in Stepanakert
Information openness must contribute into struggle against corruption
RA NA Vice-Speaker: role of mass media in fight against corruption
not powerful enough
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RA AMBASSADOR TO US AND RECTOR OF UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT DISCUSS
PERSPECTIVES OF COOPERATION IN THE SPHERE OF EDUCATION
YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. RA Ambassador to US Arman Kirakosian
and Rector of University of Connecticut discussed perspectives of
cooperation in the sphere of education, RA MFA told ARKA. Kirakosian
stated on his assistance to the project of implementation of program
of Armenian Studies in the University of Connecticut. He noted the
important role of this project not only for traditional Armenian
studies, but also in strengthening of cooperation of Armenian and
American experts and scientists from this field. Kirakosian also read
a lecture called “Present Condition and Perspectives of
Armenian-American Relations”.
At present administration of University of Connecticut discusses
issues on creation of regular chair of Armenian Studies. University
created special committee, one of which goals is to involve science
potential of Yerevan State University in given process. L.D. –0–
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TRAINING COURSES FOR LOCAL DOCTORS HELD IN STEPANAKERT
STEPENAKERT, September 27. /ARKA/. Training courses for local
doctors, organized by National Institute of Healthcare of Armenia,
are being held in Stepanakert. As Zoya Lazaryan, NKR Healthcare
Minister told ARKA, during current visit of delegation of Armenian
Healthcare Ministry headed by Norayr Davidyan to NKR it was achieved
arrangement on organization of mobile training courses for Karabakh
doctors. “It was decided to hold these courses in Stepenakert and
then in future a number of doctors will be trained in Health
Institute of Armenia. “It is important to mention that these courses
are implemented in the frames of the state order”, NKR Healthcare
Minister told. T.M. -0–
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INFORMATION OPENNESS MUST CONTRIBUTE INTO STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION
YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Armenia must define for itself if the
information openness must turn into an integrated part of it national
interests, as Konstantin Petrosov, Director of ARKA New Agency stated
on Seminar “Role of mass media in struggle against corruption –
transparency of state bodies’ activity and availability of
information” held in Tsakhkadzor. In his words, Armenia does not have
system approach to information by the state power. “It is fashionable
to talk about the struggle against corruption, however at the same
time many forget that corruption and economic crimes – the most
important problems faced by the state, and the information openness
can contribute into the solution of these problems”, Petrosov said.
He mentioned that if the state officials are forced to report to the
society (publication of income declaration of officials, obligatory
reporting on budget implementation, tenders, inspections and decision
taken by the state officials etc.) and this even is not to stop
corruption processes, at least it will strongly restrain them.
Director of ARKA Agency also mentioned other directions of the state
policy, implementation of which is impossible without information
openness. Particularly, building of a civil society is impossible
without society’s confidence to the state, authorities, public
institutions and mass media. Also, in his words, unsatisfactory
openness of our society hinders Armenia’s entering into the world
information society, creates distorted impression on economic
processes and reforms in the country. In Petrosov’s opinion, the
information openness is possible only when the authority bodies
clearly understand this necessity and promote it in all possible
ways. “For this it is necessary to develop national industry of
information services and raise efficiency of use of state information
resources”, he mentioned. T.M. -0–
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RA NA VICE-SPEAKER: ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH
YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Te role of mass media in fight against
corruption is not powerful enough, as stated Vahan Hovhannisyan, the
RA NA Vice-Speaker at the seminar dedicated to the role of mass media
in fight against corruption held in Tsakhkadzor. He said that a
newspaper of a 2-thou-edition cannot lead the people, cannot mobilize
the society for a solution of a serious problem. According to
Hovhannisyan, “our people are not used to a single unified struggle,
being individualists”. He said that everyone receiving a ruling
position forgets about the fact that he should be under control and
be transparent in his activities in front of the society, thus
becoming “an infected part of the political elite, which considers
itself beyond the people and refuses them to avoid control”. The base
for fight against corruption Hovhannisyan sees in changing the
mentality of the people so that everyone considers himself a part of
a whole. He is also confident that a civil society cannot be formed
without mass media. He said that if any information is not considered
secret by the law, it should be available for everyone. The fight
against corruption should include “simultaneous system changes and
blows on the targets”. L.V. -0–
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