Author: Topchian Jane

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN MACEDONIA TO ORGANIZE ARMENIAN COURSES IN NEAR FUTURE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 07 2007

SKOPJE, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian and
Macedonian Association organized an open-air entertaining on June 5 in
Skopje, at which more than 50 Armenians and Macedonians were present.

This is not the Armenian community’s first assemblage of this kind. The
company organized "Armenian party" in May last year, during which works
of Armenian poets, Armenian and Macedonian songs were performed. The
Armenian and Macedonian Association intends to organize Armenian
courses and journey to Armenia at the first opportunity in the near
future, which will allow to get to know the Armenian language and
culture better.

It should be mentioned that the Armenian and Macedonian newly-founded
Association has 200 members, among which there are professional
musicians, doctors and poets.

REPUBLICAN PARTY AND PROSPEROUS ARMENIA TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT

ArmRadio.am
06.06.2007 17:14

Today in the President’s Office in presence of RA President Robert
Kocharyan The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) in the person of
the RPA Council President, RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and
the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) in the person of the Party’s
President Gagik Tsarukyan signed a memorandum on forming a coalition
government. The political coalition signed a memorandum of cooperation
with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun in
the person of the representative of ARF Supreme Body Armen Rustamyan.

The main objective of coalition is to create effective legislative
and executive bodies enjoying greater trust of the public, to ensure
a stable and sustainable development of the past achievements.

The political coalition and the parties of the cooperation agreement
pledged to implement a common policy in cooperation with each other
and the President of the republic. They pledged to make every effort
for the effective execution of Government programs and to refrain
from any steps that can directly or indirectly harm the provisions
of the agreements.

The political coalition and the cooperation prioritized the stable and
safe economic growth with essential reduction of the shadow economy,
application of fairer mechanisms of income distribution, increase
of the effectiveness of fighting corruption, provision of favorable
conditions for the reinforcement of civil society, completion of
the reforms in the sphere of state service by creating a true and
effective government system.

ALIYEV DISCUSSED THE KARABAKH ISSUE WITH MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

ArmRadio.am
06.06.2007 18:07

Today in Baku Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed the
perspectives of settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Azeri President’s
Press Office informed that the meeting featured the Russian, American
and French Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, Matthew
Bryza and Bernard Fassier.

CONSTITUTION PROTECTS US WHEN WE PROTECT CONSTITUTION
Igor Muradyan

KarabakhOpen
06-06-2007 13:32:34

Despite expectations the issue of the lowlands of Karabakh has
considerably worried the NKR government, who decided to attack the
opponents whom President Ghukasyan referred to as "elements". An
element is a fundamental notion, and is used in either philosophical
or criminal contexts depending on the level of education of those who
pronounce it. In this case, the pronouncement by one of the "elements"
of the government of Karabakh, Speaker Ashot Ghulyan, a highly
amiable person, who was unfairly pushed out of the pre-election stage,
perhaps on the basis of an instruction, is interesting. Ashot Ghulyan
questions the expediency of public debates on the problem of the
lowlands of Karabakh, because he thinks like his boss Ghukasyan that
"elements" launched this debate "sitting in their cozy offices." The
speaker thinks the NKR Constitution (by the way, it is said to have
been adopted hastily) guarantees or is at least an important argument
against returning the lowlands of Karabakh. Of course, we would like it
to be so. The speaker references to the efficiency of the legislature
but what relation do the guarantees of indivisibility of borders
have? It should be noted that this provision of the NKR Constitution
is blurred and ambiguous, it allows for different interpretations and,
in fact, also manipulations. There is opinion that from the legal
point of view this provision of the Constitution is imperfect and in
fact it replaces a legal act with a political declaration.

In reality, a constitution does not guarantee the indivisibility of
state borders in certain historical circumstances. For instance,
pre-war Czechoslovakia also had a Constitution but this did not
prevent the government from passing the external decision to divide
the country. The Soviet Union also had a constitution. But we need
not depart. Who remembers the December 1, 1989 decision of the Supreme
Soviet of Armenia and the National Council of Artsakh on "Unification"
except the group of irresponsible "elements"? Meanwhile, this act
would be sufficient to solve all the possible problems. The regime in
Armenia supported by the Karabakh government very soon devalued this
decision and discarded it. What does a Constitution cost if nobody
guarantees its application and honoring?

But can President Ghukasyan guarantee the Constitution and generally
the statehood, whose thoughts meander along media reports?

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ASKED "INCONVENIENT" QUESTION, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST IS TO BLAME

KarabakhOpen
05-06-2007 12:22:30

The response of the CEC to Albert Voskanyan’s statement gives rise
to strange feelings. First, there is no answer to the question put by
the human rights defender. Second, the words describing the functions
of the human rights defender are taken in inverted commas. Besides,
the tone of the letter is not respectful, it is even ironical. It
seems to be written by an angry person. It is written in a way to
make any other human rights defender reluctant to apply to the CEC.

And the general impression of the response is: the human rights
activist asked "inconvenient" question, the human rights activist is
to blame.

No matter how good or bad the Constitution is, it must be honored. No
matter how good or bad the letter is, the answer must be full and
adequate.

Will the CEC register Bako Sahakyan? If yes, will the CEC explain to
the society adequately on what basis it did?

EU-Turkey talks in Ankara

armradio.am
04.06.2007 16:52

During today’s talks in Ankara representatives of Turkey and the
European Union are discussing the opportunities of resuming talks on
several chapters of the integration dossier, which were frozen in
December 2006.

The discussions will also focus on democratic reforms and the situation
in the country on the eve of early presidential elections scheduled
June 22.

The meeting features the Foreign Minister of Turkey Abdullah Gul, EU
Commissioner on Enlargement Olli Rehn, Foreign Minister Frank Walter
Steinmeier of Germany, holding the EU presidency and State Secretary
Gomes Kravinio of Portugal, which will assume EU presidency soon.

YEREVAN WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN THE PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN KOSOVO

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, May 30, 2007, p. 9
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 1, 2007 Friday

Yerevan is gong to broaden participation in the peacekeeping operation
in Kosovo and to send several military doctors and officers to
Afghanistan as well. Major General Mikael Melkonyan, director of the
department of international military cooperation and defense programs
of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, announced this.

Melkonyan also reported that according to the plan, IPAP of Armenia
and NATO adoption of the military doctrine was scheduled for the
end of 2008. "However, with regard to a number of IPAP components,
we outrun the schedule by a few steps and I think that the doctrine
will be adopted at the end of 2007."

POLAND WILL SUPPORT ARMENIA IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Panorama.am
18:38 30/05/2007

Prime-minister of Armenia Serge Sargsyan received the delegation headed
Yanush Kachmarek, the Interior Minister of Poland today. Prime-minister
mentioned that Armenian – Polish relations are actively developing
in frames of both bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Armenia
considers Poland as one of the main partners and will try to use Polish
Republic’s potential for the integration to European structures,
Prime-minister mentioned. Serge Sargsyan noted that Armenia expects
Poland’s active participation in the Partnership Action Plan.

The information and public relations department of Armenian Government
informed, that Yanush Kachmarek declared willingness of Poland
to support Armenia in EU integration processes, satisfaction with
cooperation development and readiness to share its experience in some
spheres. The proposition on a working group formation was stressed. The
working group would professionally investigate structural, procedural
and other issues; realize practical support and present propositions
to both sides. Armenian Prime-minister informed his colleague on that
issue and received positive reaction.

KARABAKH IS NOT CHINA, CHILDREN ARE NOT A PROBLEM

KarabakhOpen
30-05-2007 10:24:57

How do the people of Artsakh imagine an ideal family? And how many
children an ideal family should have? We asked this question to people
in the streets of Stepanakert.

"A family should have at least two children, a boy and a girl. And
there must be three children in an ideal family," most respondents
said. Some said if the parents can afford, they can have four children.

By the way, there are two children in the families of most participants
of our vox-pop.

"An ideal family is not only a family with many children but also
a well-to-do family, not an underprivileged one," said one of our
respondents.

There were also opinions that the level of culture in family affects
the number of children: the more intelligent the family is, the less
children there are, and on the contrary.

According to the NKR Statistics Service, in 2006 474 babies or 22.5
percent were the third or up children in their families, including
295 or 62.2 percent were the third child, 102 or 21.5 percent were
the fourth child, 35 or 7.4 percent were the fifth child, 16 or 3.4
percent were the sixth child, 26 or 5.5 percent were the seventh and
up child in their families.

Unlike China where the fast growth of population is not only in
detriment to the economic and social development but also gives rise
to major problems in employment, housing, transportation, health care
services, in Karabakh the government transfers 700 dollars to the
bank account of the third child in family. In fact, this approach
should encourage families to have more children.

However, many say it is too small a sum to stimulate. And it is
impossible to support the child on this money.

Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
May 26, 2007 Saturday

ETHNIC MINORITY FESTIVAL IN W HUNGARY

Budapest, May 26 (MTI) – Hungary’s ethnic minorities staged a
cultural festival in Szekesfehervar (W) on Saturday.

The festival, incorporated in the programme of a traditional,
annually organised local event, offered music and dance performances
of Ukrainian, Slovak, Slovenian, German, Polish, Armenian and
Croatian communities from all over Hungary.

Participants were greeted by Szekesfehervar mayor Tihamer
Warvasovszky and Catholic Bishop Antal Spanyi.