Author: Chaltikian Arsine

Students of competitive countries do not study to observe formalities.
What about the students of Armenia?

2010-02-14 10:33:00

ArmInfo. The Board of Trustees of the National Competitiveness
Foundation of Armenia held a sitting in Yerevan, Saturday. The sitting
covered the programs and the budget of the Foundation for 2010-2012,
as well as current programs. Executive Director of the Foundation
Bekor Papazyan said that the negotiations on acquisition of the
cyclotron to set up an oncology hospital in Armenia are nearing
completion, commercial banks are already making proposals on
financing, and investments offers are being worked out.

Speaking of the programs in the sphere of tourism, Papazyan pointed
out that in autumn 2010 it is envisaged to open the cableway leading
to Tatev Monastery, one of the symbols of Armenian medieval
architecture. The construction of the cableway is included in the
complex of programs on creation of a tourism center near the
monastery. In particular, before opening of the cableway, the work on
renovation of the monastery, as well as on elaboration of tour
packages and tour operators will be done. It is envisaged to complete
the renovation by the end of 2011. As regards the third direction of
the Foundation’s activity – the education sphere, Papazyan said that
the elaboration of the project of a scientific center in Yerevan will
be launched in the near future. "The Center will consist of a
commercial part, i.e. office premises and academic corps. One of the
ideas is that the first part, i.e. the commercial one is to finance
the second part. The offices may accommodate enterprises to work out
scientific projects and innovations, probably, in the format of a
venture fund. Thus, the center will ensure the connection between the
educational system and business",- said Papazyan.

Nubar Afeyan, Head of the venture company Flagship Ventures (USA),
member of the Board of Trustees of the National Competitiveness
Foundation of Armenia said that the Foundation is going to create and
all-Armenian professional network that may become useful for the
specialists and students living in Armenia. The main thing Armenia
should begin with is to master the skills of academic knowledge
commercialization. In the USA this process is developed quite well.

In particular, there are several hundreds of designers of commercial
scientific projects among the Armenians of Diaspora, he said. He added
that during his visits to Armenia he met teachers and students of
Armenian universities. According to him, to enhance the efficiency of
education, one should create motivation, engrain new understanding of
the education destination. Education for a diploma is not the most
correct approach, Afeyan said. He thinks that creation of all-Armenian
professional networks, exchange of experience will contribute to
qualitative changes.

The National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia works as a joint
project of the state in person of the Armenian government, and
representatives of the private sector from the USA, Russia, Europe and
Near East. The Foundation works out and coordinates investment
projects to enhance the competitiveness of Armenia. The Foundation
focuses on education, health and tourism.

ATTEMPTED BUSH ASSASSIN ADOPTS ISLAM

Interfax
act=news&div=6930
Feb 12 2010
Russia

Tbilisi, February 12, Interfax – Tbilisi resident, Vladimir Arutyunyan,
sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to assassinate then
acting USA President George Bush in 2005, adopted Islam in prison.

He grew a beard and learned Arabic. Earlier Arutyuynyan was a
parishioner of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Gruzia Online
website reports.

In May 2005, Arutyuynyan threw a grenade towards Bush who was visiting
Tbilisi, but it failed to go off. Several days later, during operation
on his detention, the terrorist killed a police officer.

NKR President Travels to Abkhazia

2 010/02/12
Nagorno Karabakh politics

NKR President Bako Sahakyan traveled to Abkhazia to take part in the
swearing in ceremonies of newly reelected President Sergey Bagapsh.

President Sahakyan wished the Abkhazian leader success in his future
endeavors and peace and prosperity to the peoples of Abkhazia.

Abkhazia is home to a sizeable community of Hamshen Armenians.

Armenians settled in Abkhazia in late 19th and the early 20th centuries
and are now the largest ethnic group in Gagra, Sukhumi and Gulprish
districts, forming 20% of the Abkhazian population with 45,000 out
of a total of 215,000.

NKR FOREIGN MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO LEBANON

20 10/02/11

NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan has arrived in Lebanon on a
three day official visit.

Accompanied by Ashot Kocharyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to Lebanon,
FM Petrosyan visited Catholicos Aram I in Antelias. The foreign
minister is also secheduled to meet with Armenian political and
community leaders whil in Lebanon.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS OPENING CEREMONY OF EXHIBITION OF ARSHILE GORKY’S WORKS AT TATE GALLERY

NOYAN TAPAN
FEBRUARY 10, 2010
LONDON

LONDON, FEBRUARY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. During his working visit to the UK,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening ceremony of
the exhibition of works of the world-famous Armenian-American painter
Arshile Gorky at the Tate Gallery in London. He toured the exhibition
hall and became acquainted with the whole collection of paintings by
the renowned artist of Armenian descent.

The press service of the Armenian president reports that following
the opening ceremony, S. Sargsyan and Chair of the Trustees of the
Tate Gallery, former Chief Executive of the British Petroleum Group
Lord Browne had dinner, at which representatives of the Armenian
community of Great Britain were also present.

FIDES UNIVERSAL CREDIT ORGANIZATION TO DEVELOP MORTGAGE MARKET IN NAGORNY KARABAKH

ArmInfo
09.02.2010

The newly established state Universal Credit Organization Fides that
was licensed by the Armenian Central Bank in August 2009 is expected to
launch refinancing of mortgage loans in the Nagorny Karabakh Republic.

Fides Executive Officer Vardan Avetisyan told ArmInfo the first credit
agreement on refinancing will be approved within February 2010. At
present the company is developing the legislative base for activity
in the NKR.

ARMENIA, IRAN SIGN CULTURAL COOPERATION PROGRAM FOR 2010-2012

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.02.2010 15:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Ministry of Culture and Iran’s Culture and
Islamic Relations Organization signed Wednesday a cultural cooperation
program for 2010-2012.

"We have discussed details of the agreement with the Iranian delegation
led by Adviser to the President of Iran, Head of Iran’s Culture and
Islamic Relations Organization Mehdi Mostafavi. Since 1994, when the
governments of Armenia and Iran signed an agreement on cooperation
in culture, science, education, sports, tourism and media, a lot of
work has been done, and we are not going to stop," RA Minister of
Culture Hasmik Poghosyan said.

Mr. Mostafavi said for his part, "Armenia and Iran have developed
friendly and close relations and the two nations have long become Á
family, thanks to cultural community .

ARMENIA OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI LANDS BEFORE THE EYES OF THE WHOLE WORLD

news.az
Feb 9 2010
Azerbaijan

Deniz Baykal Leader of the Turkish oppositional People’s Republican
Party Deniz Baykal has again criticized the state policy on Armenia.

"First they signed protocols in Switzerland and said both
countries-Armenia and Turkey- are ready to continue the process. Well,
Armenia is our neighbor and we were among the first countries that
recognized its independence. Then this country demonstratively occupied
Azerbaijani lands and the whole world recognizes it. Turkey closed
borders with Armenia as a sign of protest against its occupational
policy", Deniz Baykal said, according to Hurriyet.

"Armenia sent 60,000 citizens to us being in a disastrous state.

Despite it also had difficulties with employment, Turkey sheltered them
and gave them jobs. When we speak of zero problems with neighbors,
the world think that it is our fault. But the government did not
explain the reasons why we closed borders with Armenia. We do not
see that Armenia wants normalization of relations with Turkey",
the leader of the Turkish opposition said.

RUSSIA CHANGES SECURITY SYSTEM

Lragir.am
08/02/10

On these days, a new military doctrine was adopted in Russia which
enables the Russian armed forces to invade the territory of other
countries as well as gives Russia the right to a preventive nuclear
blow. Russia, as before, considers its enemy number one the NATO and
thinks that the U.S. and NATO threaten its security.

And yesterday in Munich, addressing the international security
conference, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that
Moscow supports the establishment of a new legally binding treaty on
security. He criticized the OSCE, and noted that "over the past 20
years, European security is seriously shattered by all parameters".

The head of Russia’s foreign office characterized the current situation
as "atrophy of the OSCE".

The main complaint was that the organization cannot realize the
principle of indivisibility of security, on which the security of
a member of the OSCE cannot be done at the expense of security of
another member countries of the organization. As an example of the
fact that the system does not work, Lavrov cited the example of the
bombing of Yugoslavia and the events in the Caucasus in August 2008.

Interestingly, the president of Russia Medvedev a couple of days
before this, during his meeting with the new Armenian ambassador noted
that it is necessary to pass from "confrontational politics, archaic
geopolitical apportionments to the formation of a new approach to deal
effectively with terrorism, food shortages, climate change". Earlier,
the institute a member of which is Medvedev, revealed a plan on
Russia’s modernization which supposes for root reforms. This plan
has not yet been affirmed and the feeling is that Russia says: we
know what and how to do, but we will not do that for spite of the West.

The response to this divergence of word and deed was the decision of
the West to place missile defense systems in Romania and throughout
the Persian Gulf. NATO is already tired of claiming that it does not
perceive Russia as an enemy, but Moscow seems to be beneficial as a
potential enemy of NATO, and not the terrorism.

news.am, Armenia
Feb 6 2010

Azerbaijan does not need war in Karabakh – Armenian opposition
Sat 06 February 2010 | 10:07 GMT Text size:

Hovhannes Igityan Azerbaijan has the political and diplomatic
advantage, so does not need to resume hostilities over Karabakh.

This is what a board member of the opposition Armenian National
Movement, Hovhannes Igityan, told a press conference yesterday.

Azerbaijan is refraining from war today, not because it feels weak and
thinks it might lose, but because it has political and diplomatic
superiority, Igityan said.

"By starting a new war Azerbaijan would not be able to settle the
issue quickly and would lose the advantage. Baku sees that the issue
is politically settled in its favour."