Author: Tashjian Arbi

U.S. EMBASSY DONATES COMPUTER EQUIPMENT TO HELP RA POLICE TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

AZG Armenian Daily
18/07/2009

On July 17, 2009, the U.S. government donated computer and radio
equipment and a vehicle, worth a total of over $40,000, to the National
Police Unit to Combat Trafficking-in-Persons under the Main Department
Combating Organized Crime. The donation ceremony on behalf of the
U.S. Embassy was attended by Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch and, on
behalf of the Government of Armenia- by Chief of Police Major-General
Alik Sargsyan.

Purchased by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Office of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, the equipment includes two
servers, several computers and printers, six radios and a vehicle. The
new equipment and the vehicle are donated to assist the Unit to Combat
Trafficking-in-Persons to effectively and speedily implement operations
and searches; compile, process and preserve sensitive information
and databases on the trafficking cases and traffickers; as well as
protect victims from potential threats during the investigation of
cases. It will also contribute to effective cooperation between
the Police Unit and other stakeholders (state agencies and NGOs)
in implementation of the National Referral Mechanism and National
Action Plans to fight trafficking-in-persons.

In the most recent U.S. Department of State Trafficking-in-Persons
Report, Armenia was ranked in Tier 2, reflecting advances made by the
Armenian Government, NGOs and citizens in combating modern-day slavery.

This project is only part of the U.S. Government’s comprehensive
law enforcement assistance program in the Republic of Armenia. The
U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, through its International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Section, has funded the renovation of the Police Induction
Center in Kanaker and donated administrative and classroom equipment
to the Police Academy of the RA. In cooperation with the Government
of Armenia the Embassy successfully established a nationwide computer
network for the RA Police.

U.S. Government assistance in the fight against human trafficking
is directed at training law enforcement personnel in investigation,
prosecution and prevention of the crime, victim protection, as well as
legislative instruments and international practice in the field. The
U.S. Government has been funding the operations of the NGO "Hope and
Help," which provides a hotline, shelter, and social, psychological
and legal assistance to the victims of trafficking.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY CONFIRMS ARMENIAN SOLDIER’S CAPTURE

APA
July 16 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Azerbaijani Defense Ministry confirmed the Armenian
soldier’s capture. Press service of the Defense Ministry told APA that
Armenian soldiers continue passing to the Azerbaijani side because
of intolerable situation in their army.

"The incident took place on July 15 evening in the territory of
Gadabay region in the frontline. Soldier of 549 regiment of Armenian
Defense Ministry, resident of Yerevan Karen Norigovich Harutyunyan,
19 couldn’t endure torturing by his fellow soldiers, left the service
place and crossed the border of Azerbaijan and surrendered to the
Azerbaijani servicemen".

MEDAL OF HONOUR GIVEN TO PRESIDENT OF FRENCH ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES AND UNION OF FRENCH FILM PRODUCERS ALAIN TERZIAN

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. President of the Union of French
Film Producers, President of the French Academy of Motion Pictures,
President of the Cesar Academy, Administrator of Cannes Film Festival
Alain Terzian was awarded by the Armenian President’s July 13 decree
the Medal of Honour for the weighty contribution in the sphere of
cinematographic art as well as for the activity promoting deepening of
close cultural cooperation with the Homeland and of the Armenian-French
friendship.

RA President Serzh Sargsian, giving the high award on July 14,
mentioned: "Armenia becomes more recognizable in the world owing to
people like you as well. Our goal is that our compatriots, living
abroad, being a good citizen of the given country, at the same time
consider Armenia to be their historic Homeland."

"I am too glad, proud and excited that I am in Armenia, in my historic
Homeland. When I crossed the threshold of the Armenian land, I had
a strange feeling. It can be understood only by an Armenian who has
dreamed of visiting Armenia during his whole life and that dream
at last became true," A. Terzian said. The French Armenian artist
mentioned that he is impressed by the Golden Apricot festival which
year after year becomes more and more popular.

BRITISH COUNCIL AND GACC HELP GEORGIAN AND ARMENIAN MUSEUM STAFF DEVELOP THEIR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

The Messenger
July 15 2009
Georgia

>From 13-16 July 2009 a workshop for 20 Georgian and Armenian museum
staff and crafts people is being held at the Georgian Arts and Culture
Centre (GACC). The focus of this 4-day residency is ‘new ways of making
cultural industries popular – how we can turn cultural industries
into an economically profitable area of activity.’ The participants
of the residential workshop are discussing the educational value of
the museum as an institution and museum activities, including the
sale of products at the museum shops.

Two UK experts are sharing their experience and leading the training
of 20 museum staff and crafts people from 6 Georgian and Armenian
museums. As a result of the workshop, new pieces of craftwork will be
created using cultural heritage models. The Georgian participants are
the Kutaisi State Museum, Batumi Archaeological Museum, the Museum
of Dolls and the Zakaria Paliashvili House Museum in Tbilisi. From
Armenia, representatives of the National Gallery of Armenia, the
Armenian Museum of History, Erebuni Museum and the Wood Carving Museum
are taking part.

Selina Fellows, a leading UK consultant in income generation and
marketing in the cultural heritage sector and Timothy Mason, Head
of the Arts & Heritage Consultancy and a European Council expert on
cultural heritage and museum management issues in the South Caucasus,
are the facilitators of the workshop.

The GACC project which this workshop forms part of, called ‘Development
of Cultural Industries in the South Caucasus Countries: Introduction
to the UK Experience in Product Development, Business Management
and Marketing,’ was the only winner of a Creative Collaborations
grant in the South Caucasus, thus becoming a part of a large scale
South-East European project known as Creative Collaboration. The
project focuses on the cooperation between museums and producers
in the area of cultural heritage and traditional crafts. The aim of
the project is to exchange creative experience on the one hand and
generate income for cultural institutions and producers on the other.

Creative Collaboration is a major British Council arts project that
aims to increase the numbers of artists working in collaboration
with other countries in South East Europe and the UK. The overall
aim of all Creative Collaboration projects is to enrich the cultural
life of Europe and its surrounding countries and to build trust and
understanding across communities by generating dialogue and debate.

ONE OF THE VERSIONS OF TRAGEDY IN IRAN MIGHT BE FIRE ONBOARD TU-154

ArmInfo
2009-07-15 15:09:00

ArmInfo. One of the versions of the crash of the aircraft carrying
out the RV 7908 Tehran-Yerevan flight, might be a fire aboard, the
Russian "Vesti" TV channel reported. At 11:49 am local time the plane
fell in one the regions of Qazvin province 20 minutes after departing
from the Tehran airport.

To recall, 168 people died as a result of the air crash. The plane
belonged Caspian Airlines Iranian company.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF CIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE TO GIVE AN EFFICIENT SOLUTION TO MIGRATION ISSUES ONLY JOINTLY

ARMENPRESS
JULY 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: Vice-Chairperson of CIS Executive
Committee Toktasin Buzubaev, summing up the results of the Tuesday’s
meeting with the Chief Director of International Organization for
Migration (IOM) William Leis Swing, said that no country, including
CIS states, will be able to give an efficient solution to migration
issues alone, reported the press service of CIS Executive Committee.

"It is possible to fight against all the negative aspects of that
phenomenon only jointly" – Buzubaev said.

He stated that an exchange of opinions on the further issues of
cooperation between the organizations took place at the meeting. "We
came to a conclusion that our cooperation should continue, we
registered the phase, which we now face and determined the directions
of the progress. For cooperation particularly the study of IOM
experience in the fight against the trafficking in human beings is
of great importance", – he said.

In his turn William Leis Swing underscored that he is pleased with
the level of the cooperation of the international organization with
CIS states in migration issues and pointed out their achievements in
confronting the illegal migration.

"Our offices operate in the all CIS states, and 9 participant countries
are members of the organization. So the cooperation with CIS is a
continuous process for us, in the result of which migration policy
is strengthened", – he said.

The Chief Director of IOM also said that at the meeting the necessity
of undertaking steps towards conducting the memorandum of mutual
understanding and cooperation signed between CIS Executive Committee
and IOM Administration in September, last year was pointed out.

He noted as well that the organization’s representatives intend to
take part in the scientific conference dedicated to the improvement
of CIS states’ cooperation in combating trafficking in human beings,
which is planned for this autumn, in Moscow.

YEREVAN HOSTS 30TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF YOUNG ORIENTALISTS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.07.2009 11:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 30th international conference of young
orientalists opened Tuesday in the Institute of Oriental Studies at
the RA National Academy of Sciences.

The conference participants will focus on history, politics,
international relations and culture.

"This is an important event," said Dr. Ruben Safrastyan, Director of
the Institute.

The conference will last till July 16.

KARABAKH’S STATUS QUO – IN FAVOR OF ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.07.2009 19:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ While trying to achieve an outcome in Karabakh peace
process, the world’s superpowers can exert pressure upon Yerevan and
Baku. Azerbaijan possesses oil, and has assumed increasingly important
role in the region over the recent period. That’s why superpowers
their "love games" aimed at the realization of Nabucco project,
political-scientist Suren Zolyan told today a joint news conference
with political scientist Yervand Bazoyan. As noted by the latter,
Nabucco is nothing more than a PR-propaganda.

"Nabucco is a pipeline without gas. The volumes of Azerbaijani gas
are not enough for the realization of the project. As to Iranian gas,
I don’t think it will be used within project frameworks," Bazoyan
noted, adding that Baku has not absolutely assumed important role in
the region. "Superpowers simply know in what way and on which party to
exert pressure on for achieving effective outcome. Karabakh’s status
quo still works in favor of Armenia," he said in conclusion.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS LEAVES FOR MOSCOW

ARMENPRESS
July 14, 2009

ECHMIADZIN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin
II left today for Moscow on a one-day official visit where he will
meet the newly elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch
of Moscow and All Russio Kiril I.

Press office of the Mother See told Armenpress that the Karekin II
will be accompanied by archbishop Nurhan Manoukian, Chairperson the
Religious gathering of the K. Polis Armenian Patriarchate archbishop
Aram Ateshian, leader of the Artsakh Diocese archbishop Pargev
Martirosian, leader of the USA Armenian Eastern Diocese archbishop
Khazhak Parsamian, responsible of the Mother See for the inter-church
relations archbishop Yeznik Petrosian, leader of the new Nakhijevan
and Russian Diocese bishop Yezras Nersisian, leader of the Armenian
Diocese of Southern Russia bishop Movses Movsisian, Member of the
Supreme Ecclesiastic Council Rouben Vardanian, Gagik Ghazinian,
Hovnan Hakobian.

ARMENIA FEARS M.BRYZA’S APPOINTMENT U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan Business Center
July 14 2009

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Armenian public opinion responded extremely
negatively to prospects of (by the way, were not confirmed) appointment
of Matthew Bryza, co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group on settlement
of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , U.S. ambassador
to Azerbaijan.

Simon Manukyan, European expert of problems of Eurasia and Europe,
stated that M.Bryza, probably, will be appointed the ambassador to
Baku in order to finish process of Karabakh settlement in extremely
short terms, till October 2009, as the Turkish leadership demands.

"Connection- Mari Yovanovich, U.S. ambassador to Armenia and M. Bryza,
ambassador to Azerbaijan, will represent likeness of hard press,
pressing from Armenia concessions on status of Nagorno-Karabakh and
consent to singing of Kar agreement with Turkey, and from Azerbaijan –
concessions on Lachin corridor and a referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic," Manukyan said.

According to him, joint activity of specialist on "colored revolutions"
(M.Yovanovich) and specialist on geopolitics (M.Bryza) could shatter
seriously position of Russia and the Organization of Agreement on
collective safety in Caucasian region.

"Appointment of Deputy Secretary of State of the United States,
U.M.Bryza the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan will only speed up the
process of integration of Caucasian republics in NATO. Bryza is
informed well on processes of Armenian-Turkish and Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement, he knows all details of Armenian- Azerbaijani relations
and weak places of heads of these states," Manukyan said.

For the time being, M.Bryza has not confirmed his appointment to
Azerbaijan.