Author: Chilingarian Babken

FOREIGN MINISTERS REPORT ABOUT "NO BREAKTHROUGH"

Panorama.am
08:48 05/06/2009

No breakthrough or principle advancement has been made in the meeting
of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Foreign Minister
of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan told after the President’s Meeting in
St. Petersburg.

"Though it is impossible to speak about a breakthrough the parties move
forward and have agreed on continuing the negotiations," Armenian FM
said. The Presidents ordered the Foreign Ministers to work on pulling
the parties’ dispositions nearer and to organize a new meeting of
the presidents with the direct contribution of the co-chairs, Edward
Nalbandyan said.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamediarov has also reported that
no breakthrough happened but some advancement has been recorded. The
parties have comprehensive approach to each other, the Azeri FM
announced. "The basic thing is that the parties agree on advancing,"
Mamediarov said.

The President’s meeting lasted 2.5 hours. The President did not make
any statement after the negotiations leaving the Foreign Ministers
to give comments about the results of their negotiations.

RUSSIAN SPOKESPERSON SAYS AZERI-ARMENIAN MEETING IN ST PETERSBURG IMPORTANT

Interfax
June 4 2009
Russia

St Petersburg, 4 June: The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia,
Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, met on Thursday [4 June] in the
presence of OSCE Minsk Group representatives. Details of the meeting
are not available yet.

A meeting with Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev is to take place
separately with the presidents of these countries at a later time.

After these meetings the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will
join a working dinner given by President Dmitriy Medvedev.

The press secretary of the Russian president, Natalya Timakova, said
on Tuesday [2 June] that the expected meeting of the Russian president
with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan tells about intentions of
the parties to continue the dialogue on a peaceful settlement to the
[Nagornyy] Karabakh conflict.

"The meeting itself is important, because this means the continuation
of the process which the president started earlier when the Moscow
declaration was signed [in November 2008]," Timakova told journalists.

"This is an important moment that leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan
visit St Petersburg to attend the [International Economic] Forum. This
allows [them] to meet again and discuss the current situation. The
continuation of the dialogue and demonstration of the readiness by
the parties for the dialogue and recognition of Russia’s mediating
role is important," the [Russian] president’s press secretary said.

MASSIVE INFLUX OF EXPATS CAN IMPACT VOTE RESULTS
By Josie Ensor

Daily Star
June 6 2009
Lebanon

BEIRUT: The large number of Lebanese expatriates returning to
the country to vote in tomorrow’s crucial parliamentary election
could impact the result, experts are saying. There have been tens
of thousands of expats arriving into Beirut International Airport
in the lead up to Sunday’s election, most flights coming from North
America, the Gulf, Australia and Europe. Many of those coming back
to cast their vote say they are making the trip out to ensure they
help decide the future of the country in such an important election.

Among those returning from the United States is 22-year-old
Armenian-Lebanese history student George, who did not wish to give his
last name. "I think the expat vote will make the difference because
there are so many of us coming over. I came on Wednesday with all
my family – there are about 25 of us and we know we will all help to
get the party we want into power.

"My parents are coming back because they have lived through wars
when they were in Beirut and they feel that coming all the way back
to vote is part of their duty and something they owe the country. I
think it is different for someone my age who has grown up in the US
but I still feel strongly about my right to vote. Even though we live
abroad we are still affected by the politics here and we want to make
sure it continues to be affected positively," George added.

An informed source in civil aviation has said Armenian-Lebanese
in particular have been arriving from the US and Canada in what he
calls unprecedented "big numbers." He said the figure was somewhere
between 6,000-7,000, with most of them voting in Achrafieh in the
Beirut I district and Metn, which may have an impact on the result
of the two districts.

Parties have been encouraging expatriates to return to Lebanon to
vote in the June 7 elections, and some party supporters are alleged
to be paying for expats to fly back.

An open letter from March 14 released to followers earlier this
year focused on the family ties between Lebanon and other countries,
calling on expatriates to cast their vote. The letter specifically
criticized the recent electoral law reform which prevents Lebanese
citizens from voting abroad.

"It is unacceptable that Lebanon continues to benefit from the
financial prosperity of the diaspora without acknowledging the basic
right of Lebanese living abroad to contribute to the political well-
being of the country," it said.

The letter also noted Lebanese expatriates’ "right and duty to
participate" in the country’s democratic process.

Imad Salamey, a senior political science professor at the Lebanese
American University, believes the expat vote will have a considerable
impact on Monday’s results. "The expat community is strong as there
are so many Lebanese living abroad.

"With 25 percent of Lebanon’s economy supported by the Lebanese abroad,
they all play a crucial role in keeping Lebanon on its feet and so they
deserve to play a major influence in the election results. Expatriates
coming back to vote is such an important thing to keep our community
strong around the world. Each one of them must have a voice in order
to make a difference, and I think they will make a huge difference
in certain areas, particularly in the closely contested districts.

"I have lots of family from the US coming back to vote because they
know how important this election is going to be. It can only be a good
thing and it should be a looked at in a positive sense," Salamey said.

Sunday’s election is set to be a tight race between the ruling majority
and the opposition, and Salamey believes the large numbers of expats
returning to vote may swing the balance.

"The expat will be voting in a different way to those who live
in Lebanon – their decisions will be based on how the result will
affect relations with their host country, they will be considering
the political background from the country they are coming from. They
will be motivated by how it will affect them when they go back to
the West. We will have to wait to see what impact this makes."

ARMENIA SIGNS EDUCATIONAL CREDIT FOR $25 MILLION WITH WORLD BANK

ArmInfo
2009-06-05 13:18:00

ArmInfo. Armenia signed a credit agreement fir $25 million approved
by the World Bank Board of Directors. The agreement is aimed to reform
the educational system of Armenia. Finance Minister of Armenia Tigran
Davtyan and Director of WB Office in Yerevan Aristomene Varoudakis
signed the agreement Friday. Afterwards Minister Davtyan said at
a press conference that the credit program ‘Education Quality and
Conformity’ is already the third educational program of the World
Bank in Armenia. It is a 5-year program aimed to improve the quality
of education at pre-school, general education and higher education
establishments. It will involve 8700 children. In addition, 400 general
educational schools will be equipped with computer rooms and connected
to Internet.

For his part Aristomene Varoudakis said that the quality of education
in Armenia will be brought in conformity with European standards
within 5 years. Investments in the sphere will help Armenia increase
economic competitiveness in future.

The credit will be provided for 20 years at 0.75% annual interest
and 10-year grace period. The program is designed for 5 years
and costs $31 million including the co-financing by the Armenian
Government. The first educational program of the WB for $15 million
drams was implemented in 1997-2007, and the second one for $19 million
was launched in 2004 and completed in late2008. Since 1992 the WB
has provided Armenia with over $1.187 billion.

IT IS TIME TO SPARE OUR ENERGY SPENT ON EUROPEANS
James Hakobyan

Lragir.Am
15:31:42 – 01/06/2009

The Armenian society, of course, hears with true anger the conclusions
that the European observers make in connection with the Yerevan Mayor
Election. Many people will be filled with the same anger when they
learn that the European observers assessed positively the election
on May 31 even though they stressed that the final conclusion will be
made in October. It is a little surprising to learn that the Europeans
need five months to make a final conclusion. This means that they are
going to continue being engaged in politics during these five months,
in other words the final result will be determined by their political
interest by not by what they saw in Yerevan on May 31. This is not
news: the Armenian society does not have to get surprised at seeing
such manifestations but it has to realize one thing that Europe,
while observing elections in Armenia, settles only its problems. If
the Armenian society wants to solve some problem through elections,
so it has to settle it like the Europeans do. It is comprehensible
that it will be much more difficult for the Armenian society because
unlike the European observers, the Armenian citizen appears in front
of the criminal authors of electoral breaches.

It is time to perceive the European officials and observers as
tourists. If they want to have any relation with the Armenian society,
let them come and express their ideas clearly, their expectations,
their wishes and goals, and the society will decide what to do with
them, whether to have relations or not with the Europeans. It is
time to stop complaining of the Europeans when they do not notice
the electoral breaches and asses positively the elections. All this
of course contradicts the European measurements. But this is not our
problem. It is their problem and let them solve it themselves. The
less we make the Europeans solve our questions, the better they will
be solved.

If there are people, who think that the government stands firm
in Armenia thanks to the double standards of Europe, so they are
wrong. The government stands firm thanks to the opposite because it set
hopes only on its own resources while solving questions. The terrible
is not to accept that the government turned out to be stronger than the
opposition and society. The terrible thing is when we try to make the
Europeans bear responsibility for it too. If we do not waste our energy
in this connection, the potential of the society could enhance. Who
knows maybe this energy lacks for the success in the government –
society struggle. This does not mean that as soon as we stop involving
the Europeans in the settlement of our issues they will find their
solutions at once. But if we count, how much superfluous energy we
wasted in the previous years, the lost energy will form a huge scale.

Armenian president goes to polls, elects Yerevan mayor, city council

YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan went this
morning to 9/10 polling station in Spandaryan School to elect a Yerevan
mayor and city council members.

The president was accompanied by his spouse and daughter. Denying the
journalists’ request to comment on the elections, Sargsyan said: `Today
is a day of silence.’

Before the president’s arrival, 188 residents (out of 1,936) had cast a
ballot in the same polling station.

These are the first time Yerevan residents go to polls to elect the
city council. According to the new Law on the Yerevan Local Government,
the city council is to be composed of 65 members.
The first candidate in the party that polls more than 50 percent of the
vote automatically becomes mayor.

The polls are based on the proportional system, with six political
parties (the Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party,
Orinats Yerkir, Armenian Revolutionary Federaion Dashnaktsutiun,
People’s Party, Socialist Labor Party and the Armenian National
Congress) are running the municipal elections.

According to specified voters lists, 771,500 residents are eligible
voters.

This time, 29 local organizations with 6,000 observers and the
15-member CE Council of Local and Regional Authorities are observing
the polls. `0–

Acts of violence to journalists during Yerevan Council of Elders
elections continue

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Acts of violence against journalists
covering Yerevan Council of Elders elections of May 31 continue.
According to the Armenian National Congress, violence was used to
correspondent of 168 Zham newspaper Armine Avetian and observer of
Transparency International NGO Sona Ayvazian, as well as correspondent
of tert.am website Lilit Tadevosian. Journalists witnessed stuffing of
a ballot box with nearly 100 ballot papers.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PASSPORTS AND VISAS: FINAL ELECTORAL REGISTER COMPRISES 771477 PEOPLE

ArmInfo
2009-05-29 14:29:00

ArmInfo. Head of Armenian Police Department for Passports and Visas
Norayr Muradkhanyan told media on Friday the final electoral register
comprises 771477 people.

Deadline for applications to the Department for Passports and Visas
to verify the electoral register was May 26. N. Muradkhanyan said 12
phone calls were received from the citizens and 2 written applications
from the representative of the Armenian National Congress Patvakan
Hovakimyan. The first application says that 106 dead people, 189
people not registered in Yerevan, 35 servicemen and 7 prisoners were
included in the electoral register. The register was verified and a
written notification was sent to P. Hovakimyan, he said. Thus, Justice
Ministry of Armenia did not confirm the data on 7 prisoners. Nor
Nork military committee reported that only 2 of the aforementioned
35 servicemen are at army. As regards the 189 unregistered citizens,
176 of them are citizens of Yerevan, 3 have no registration and
the remaining 6 were only in the preliminary register. Only 42 of
the above 106 citizens are dead. Their names were removed from the
register. The second written application says that 2038 citizens have
no registration, Muradkhanyan said that 2025 of them have registration,
5 were not found in the register and data on another 8 are verified.

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
T +995 32 75 19 03/04
F +995 32 75 19 05
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
<;

Summer School

"Environmental Protection and Resource Management"

The Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) at
the Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen will be hosting the following events

seminar for experts from 1 – 8 October 2009 in Tbilisi,

and subsequently

summer school in Giessen from 11 – 21 September 2010

Both events are primarily aimed at Alumni of German universities who are
from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The participants will be subsidized by
the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Transfer of knowledge will be prioritized in the seminar for experts in
Tbilisi, and multi-disciplinary, international task forces will be formed to
prepare case studies for the summer school held in Giessen in 2010.

The aim of the summer school is to exchange applied expertise and to
contribute to the networking of Alumni with German development
organizations. We are seeking Alumni applicants of German universities as
well as experts/multiplicators who are currently working in one of the
following fields.

* Natural Resources in Southern Caucasus

Soil, water, climate and climate change, vegetation and
biodiversity

* Conservation of the Environment and Resources

Soil protection, water quality, environmental legislations,
international agreements

* Land use and Nature Conservation Areas

Agricultural ecological systems, landscape protection

* Objectives and Methods of Resource Management

Analysis and evaluation of landscapes and their functions

* Applied Resource Management

Responsibilities and implementation of resource management.
Management of transnational waters, management of liquid and solid waste,
conflict

prevention and adaptive management

Please see attached documents for more detailed information in English and
German languages

YAROSLAVL AND ARMAVIR HAVE GREAT POSSIBILITIES AND HUGE POTENTIAL OF EXPANDING COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan
May 27, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. On May 27, RA President Serzh Sargsyan
received Governor of RF Yaroslavl region Sergey Vakhrukov.

Expressing satisfaction with dynamically developing cooperation between
Armenia and Russia in various spheres, S. Sargsyan emphasized the
importance of strengthening direct contacts betwen the two countries’
regions and expansion of cooperation. He welcomed S. Vakhrukov’s
initiative of creating conditions for business contacts between Armenia
and Yaroslavl region and considered it important to unite the sides’
economic potential to make clear the directions in which they can be
represented on each other’s markets.

It should be mentioned that an agreement on cooperation in trade and
economic, scientific-technical, and cultural spheres was signed between
Armavir administration and Yaroslavl region administration during RF
President Dmitry Medvedev’s official visit to Armenia in 2008 October.

S. Vakhrukov said that Yaroslavl and Armavir actively cooperate
and have great possibilities and huge potential for expanding that
cooperation. And representations will be opened in the two regions
for that purpose that would become effective means for information
exchange, clarification of cooperation directions.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, S. Vakhrukov also said
that the Armenian community of Yaroslavl has a great authority and
many Armenian businessmen implement serious programs in the region.