Author: Dabaghian Diana

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

December 16, 2009

ACNIS Holds Roundtable Discussion on Gender Equality and the State of
Women’s Rights in Armenia

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) convened a roundtable discussion today examining gender
equality and the state of women’s rights in Armenia.

After welcoming the participants, ACNIS Director Richard Giragosian
presented a brief overview of the issues, noting that `for most
countries, the issues of gender equality and the state of women’s
rights serve as key indicators of the overall development of society
and the state of democracy.’ Giragosian added that `in the case of
Armenia as well, the conditions of the female population, including
the opportunities for Armenian women in the workplace, the educational
system and in politics, present revealing insight into the real
conditions of today’s Armenia.’

The ACNIS Director explained that today’s event on gender equality and
women’s rights was the opening event in a larger ACNIS `Gender
Project,’ aimed at `advocating greater rights and opportunities for
women in Armenia.’ He then added that ACNIS `seeks to raise awareness
of the plight of women and the need to combat domestic abuse and
violence targeting women.’

Following Giragosian’s opening, the first speaker was Ms. Jina
Sargizova, the Project Coordinator for the UNFPA Programme on
Gender-Based Violence, who provided a detailed presentation of UN
activities in this sphere. Sargizova noted several significant
problems, including the lack of awareness, the absence of effective
legislation and inadequate institutional capacity in Armenia to
address the issue.

The next speaker was Tsovinar Harutyunyan, the Senior Democratization
Assistant for the OSCE Office in Yerevan, then presented an overview
of OSCE efforts in this area and stressed the potential of women as a
resource that is not being fully utilized.

A prominent attorney in Armenia, Tiruhy Nazaretyan, then addressed the
issue of women’s rights in the workplace and highlighted the fact that
for the same job, women are most often paid less than men performing
the same work.

The least speaker was ACNIS Analyst Armine Ghazaryan, who focused on
the role of women in Armenian politics. According to Ghazaryan,
`women often feel themselves at a disadvantage in comparison with men
because their life is based on the economic, political, psychological
and social dependence on men.’ She added that `the objective and
subjective approaches regarding the role of women in politics were
related to the existence of stereotypes in society.’ She went on to
say that `the approach regarding the political electoral contest and
the general issue should be changed but must not try to equalize man
and woman, as we will have real results and effective activity if a
woman, with her female privileges, does not emulate man but expresses
herself with her own position and role.’

The presentations were then followed by a series of questions and
answers, and featured a lively exchange among several leading Armenian
analysts, experts and journalists.

———————————— ————————

The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) is
a leading independent strategic research center located in Yerevan,
Armenia. As an independent, objective institution committed to
conducting professional policy research and analysis, ACNIS strives to
raise the level of public debate and seeks to broaden public
engagement in the public policy process, as well as fostering greater
and more inclusive public knowledge. Founded in 1994, ACNIS is the
institutional initiative of Raffi K. Hovannisian, Armenia’s first
Minister of Foreign Affairs. Over the past fifteen years, ACNIS has
acquired a prominent reputation as a primary source of professional
independent research and analysis covering a wide range of national
and international policy issues.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or
27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected];
or visit

DELEGATION LED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE NKR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASHOT GHULYAN TO ARRIVE ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT IN YEREVAN

1&NewsID=3692&year=2009&month=12&d ay=14&lang=eng
14.12.2009

On the evening of December 14 the official delegation led by the
Speaker of the National Assembly of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Mr.

Ashot Ghulyan will arrive in Yerevan.

The delegation comprised the Chairman of the NKR NA Foreign Relations
Mr. Vahram Atanesyan, the Chairman of the NKR NA Committee on Social
Affairs Mr. Arpat Avanesyan, the Chairman of the NKR NA Committee on
Financial-Budgetary and Economic Management Mr. Benik Bakhshiyan, the
Chairman of the NKR NA State and Legal Affairs Mr. Garik Grigoryan,
the Chairman of the NKR NA Hayrenik faction Mr. Artur Tovmasyan,
the head of NKR NA ARF-Movement 88 faction Mr. Armen Sargsyan, NKR
Foreign Minister Mr. Georgy Petrosyan, NKR Deputy Minister of Social
Security Mr. Lenston Ghulyan.

On December 15 the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Serzh
Sargsyan and the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan will receive the delegation of the
National Assembly of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

On the same day in the NA Guild Hall the 7th meeting of RA NA –
NKR NA Inter-parliamentary Committee on Cooperation will begin.

ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS DISPATCH TO AFGHANISTAN NOT TO IMPACT ON RA-CSTO RELATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.12.2009 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The dispatch of Armenian peacekeeping contingent
to Afghanistan will not impact on relations between the Republic of
Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, said Nikolay
Bordyuzha, CSTO Secretary General.

"If Armenia resolved to send a mission to Afghanistan, so there are
good reasons for it," he said during a Yerevan-Moscow TV space bridge
on Tuesday.

"All CSTO member countries are free to collaborate with other
structures and take decisions which do not conflict with the CSTO
charter," Mr. Bordyuzha said.

THE CINEMATOGRAPH AND THE OLIGARCHS

Lragir.am
15/12/09

Ruben Hayrapetyan’s apology to Gagik Tsarukyan and to his party
partners seems to be an unprecedented step for the Armenian
governmental and oligarchic circles. The representatives of these
circles are not inclined to apologizing much let alone a public apology
even if the point is about apologizing to each other. Usually, if
there are disputes or quarrels between them, the supreme government
is to settle them which even if makes the sides apologize, it does
not happen surely in public. From this point, we may presume that
Ruben Hayrapetyan’s case is particular and unprecedented which shows
once again that much has changed within the governmental system. We
do not have to hurry to make conclusions about whether the change is
good or bad. In other words, we do not have to hurry to think that
the government makes oligarchs enhance their political culture and
settle quarrels by apologizing.

There is a Soviet film about a "cinematograph" who makes civil
revolution in an American small town of cowboys and the American
cowboys start speaking to each other with "sorry"-"sorry Sir". The
cinematograph is hardly possible to have penetrated into the Armenian
governmental pyramid too. Even if Ruben Hayrapetyan’s apology reminds
the famous film and creates grounds to think that a civil revolution
took place within the governmental pyramid, it is too early to make
univocal judgments and conclusions.

Naturally, in this case the question occurs. Which is the reason why
before in case of such quarrels public apologies were not made? What
has changed within the governmental pyramid creating need for public
apologies? The point is that the representatives of this pyramid
will apology only to each other but not to citizens who stand lower
than they do. But on the other hand, they are evident to have never
asked for apology to each other before either. The point perhaps is
that previously none of the governmental pyramid representatives
cared for the public opinion because everyone set hopes on Robert
Kocharyan standing at the peak of the pyramid, everyone used to trust
their destinies to him and considered exceptionally his opinion on
their quarrels.

Now perhaps, this trust lacks in case of Serge Sargsyan. Possibly
the parts of the pyramid start looking for protection in other
places including the society. This is the reason why the public’s
opinion became important for at least a part of them. The point is
not of course about Ruben Hayrapetyan and his "sparring partner"
Gagik Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan is likely not to be satisfied with
inner-governmental version of reconciling with Hayrapetyan. He was
offended in front of the society so the problem is to be solved
before the society too, a public apology was to be made. This is the
expression of the change that happened in the governmental system.

They started giving always more importance to the public perceptions,
they started understanding more that the public opinion is power in
any case even if it yields to police bludgeons by now. But this change
of emphasizing the public opinion can hardly be determined by the
change of thinking of the governmental pyramid, or the modernization
of its system of values. Merely, the pyramid started inspiring less
confidence to its parts and they started seeking for new sources of
security in this case in the public opinion.

Senator Boxer co-sponsors the Armenian Genocide Resolution

armradio.am
12.12.2009 11:10

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a senior member of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and Chair of its Subcommittee on International
Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy, and Global
Women’s Issues, joined her colleagues yesterday in cosponsoring S.
Res. 316, the Armenian Genocide resolution, reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly).

Senator Boxer’s cosponsorship is timely given Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement on the Charlie Rose television
program this week while in the Washington, DC, that "I can say very
clearly that we do not accept genocide. This is completely a lie."

"We welcome Senator Boxer’s continued commitment in combating genocide
denial through U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide," stated
Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "In the face of
continued denial of this great crime against humanity, it is incumbent
upon us and all people of goodwill to do everything in our power to
put an end to this vicious cycle," added Ardouny.

Introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in October of this year,
S. Res. 316 reaffirms the incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide
and has also garnered the support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV). In addition, while not an official cosponsor, former
Presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in a recent interview
publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide.

S.Res. 316 has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and is pending further action. S.Res. 316 mirrors its counterpart in
the House of Representatives, H.Res. 252, which was introduced by
Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), along
with Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk
(R-IL).

IMF TO CONTINUE ASSISTING WITH REFORMS IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Dec 9, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan on December 8 received the International Monetary Fund’s
Resident Representative in Armenia Nienke Oomes who is completing her
mission in Armenia, and Guillermo Tolosa who will replace N. Oomes
in this position.

T. Sargsyan thanked N. Oomes for her efficient activities, then he
had a talk with G. Tolosa who, prior to assuming his new position,
worked at the IMF Strategy, Policy and Review Department.

The RA Government Information and PR Department reports that the
interlocutors exchanged ideas about the problems caused by the global
financial and economic crisis. T. Sargsyan pointed out these problems
to be dealt with by the Armenian government in cooperation with the
IMF. N. Oomes in her turn assured the prime minister that the IMF will
continue to assist with the reforms underway in Armenia and to provide
all possible support to help with solution of the existing problems.

15 POLITICAL PRISONERS REMAIN AT ARMENIA’S PRISONS, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DECLARE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 9, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. "Existence of political prisoners
in the country is a fact of gross violation of human rights,"
Co-chairwoman of Helsinki Civil Assembly Natalia Martirosian declared
at a December 9 discussion. Reporting that the discussion is dedicated
to December 10, day of adoption of UN Human Rights Convention she
added that it is marked in various corners of the world. While,
according to N. Martirosian, no hall is provided in Armenia for
discussions to be held on the subject of human rights.

Head of the Center for Law and Freedom, human rights activist Vardan
Haroutiunian in his report under the title The Term Political Prisoner:
Armenia’s Political Prisoners mentioned that there is no country in
the world admitting existence of political prisoners.

"Authorities of all countries declare that the issue of political
prisoners should be decided at the court and all dictators speak
about tolerance," he said. According to V. Haroutiunian, Armenia is
not an exception. "Hundreds of people became political prisoners
in our country, and all of them were supporters of the opposition
candidate," the human rights activist declared. He emphasized that
today 15 political prisoners remain at Armenia’s prisons.

Director of Assembly’s Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts in his report
touched upon all resolutions on Armenia adopted by PACE. In his words,
these resolutions one after another confirmed that the opposition is
persecuted by the authorities in Armenia.

Head of the Armenian National Congress Center for Legal Protection,
former RA Deputy Prosecutor General Gagik Jhangirian gave a report
on the subject Political Trials in Armenia.

BARACK OBAMA: IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HINDER ADOPTION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION BY US CONGRESS IF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS ARE NOT RATIFIED

ArmInfo
2009-12-09 21:12:00

ArmInfo. US President Barack Obama called on the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey to immediately ratify the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols. According to the Turkish mass media, Obama said about it
during the meeting with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on December 7 in the White House.

As the source reports quoting Hurriyet newspaper and DunyaBulteni.Net
site, B. Obama recalled that the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide
was multiply included in the agenda of the Congress. According to B.

Obama, it will be very difficult to hinder adoption of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution by US Congress if the Armenian-Turkish Protocols
are not ratified. In his turn, R. Erdogan said that the major part
of his party’s deputies are not overjoyed at ratification of the
Protocols because of the Karabakh problem unsolved. According to him,
the Armenian- Turkish Protocols will not be ratified if include them
in the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey today.

PRESIDENT OF LATVIA VALDIS ZATLERS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON THREE-DAY STATE VISIT ON DECEMBER 9

Noyan Tapan
Dec 8, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. At RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s
invitation President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers will arrive in Armenia
with his wife Mrs Lilita Zatlere on December 9 on a three-day state
visit. The same day the President of Latvia and his wife accompanied
by RA President and his wife Mrs Rita Sargsyan will be present at
the jubilee ceremony of 50th anniversary of foundation of Mashtots
Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Matenadaran.

Latvian President’s official meeting ceremony will take place on
December 10 at RA President’s residence, which will be followed by the
two Presidents’ tete-a-tete talk. Then the official delegations will
meet with an enlarged staff. Latvian Ministers of Economy, Internal
Affairs, Environmental Protection, Chairman of the parliament Committee
of Foreign Relations, other high-ranking officials are included in
the delegation accompanying the President of Latvia.

Intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents will be signed
after the meeting. The leaders of Armenia and Latvia will have a
joint press conference.

According to a report by RA President’s Press Office, within the
framework of the visit V. Zatlers will also have meetings with NA
Speaker Hovik Abrahamian, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian. Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II will also receive him.

The opening ceremony of the Armenian-Latvian business forum will take
place with the participation of the Presidents of Armenia and Latvia.

The President of Latvia will also visit the Memorial Complex of
Armenian Genocide, will be at the Museum of Armenian Genocide, will
plant a tree at the Commemoration Park.

At Yerevan State University V. Zatlers will meet with lecturers
and students.

At Yerevan Mayor’s Office the President of Latvia will meet with
Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglarian and a number of honorary citizens of
Yerevan, will visit Yerevan History Museum.

During his stay in Armenia V. Zatlers will also visit Yerevan Brandy
Company and Matenadaran.

The delegation led by the Latvian President will leave Armenia on
December 11.

ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY COMMUNITIES WELCOME ‘STONE GARDEN’ AUTHORS

Asbarez
Dec 7th, 2009

BUENOS AIRES-Capacity crowds turned out at Armenian community centers
in the capitals of Argentina and Uruguay to hear author-photographers
Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian present Armenia as an eco-tourism
destination and to celebrate Armenian heritage.

The authors illustrated their presentation with a photography slide
show of the people, countryside, and historic sites of Armenia and
Artsakh. The event in Buenos Aires on November 19 was held under
the auspices of Argentina’s Armenian Embassy and the authors spoke
on Avenida Armenia (Armenia Avenue), in the heart of the city’s
"Little Armenia." Armenia’s Ambassador to Argentina, H.E. Vladimir
Karmirshalyan, attended the event.

Uruguay’s Liga de Jovenes (League of Youth) was the sponsor of the
event in Montevideo on November 26.

Karanian and Kurkjian told the audiences in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
and in Montevideo, Uruguay, that the Diaspora’s continued support
of Armenia and Karabagh is vital to the country’s success, and that
traveling to Armenia also allows the Diaspora to understand its needs.

The authors discussed the state of conservation and environmental
awareness in Armenia, including the steps toward the tentative recovery
of the Lake Sevan ecosystem.

"Tourism to Armenia has increased every year for the past decade, and
we’re expected to have more than a million visitors by 2020," Kurkjian
informed the audiences. Tourism is a good source of revenue for
Armenia, but Kurkjian cautioned that it must be promoted in a way that
is sustainable, in order to protect Armenia’s environment. According
to Karanian, travel is also "a good way to invigorate" the Diaspora
communities of the world, he said. Further, it brings Armenian
hospitality and culture to non-Armenians who travel there.

And, Karanian said, "the Diaspora gets recharged" when its members
visit Armenia and return home to share what they’ve seen and learned.

Kurkjian and Karanian are the creators of "The Stone Garden Guide:
Armenia and Karabagh," which is the first photography-based and
conservation-themed commercial travel guide to the region. In addition
to working on behalf of Armenia, Kurkjian is a scientist and Karanian
is a lawyer, both in Pasadena, Calif.

"Armenia and Karabagh" has won three national book awards and has been
one of the best-selling books on the subject of Armenia for the past
several years. The book is available for purchase from independent
Armenian booksellers such as Abril, Berj, and Sardarabad in Glendale,
Calif., and from the Armenian Prelacy and the Armenian Diocese in
New York City.

To order directly from the publisher with free Priority Mail shipping
in the US and Canada, send a check for US$25 to Stone Garden
Productions; PO Box 7758; Northridge, CA 91327 USA. As a holiday
special, orders received before January 6, 2010 will be shipped with
a free wall-sized color map of Armenia ($12 value). The book can be
previewed online at Their photography
can be viewed at