Dec

19

News Digest (Monday, Dec. 17)

Filed Under ArmeniaNow Weekly 

Expressive protest: A group of angry Armenian bloggers expressed their indignation to the Armenian organizers of the “Days of Azerbaijan” event in Yerevan by symbolically handing the initiators a piece of soap with a wish for their “better work”. The bloggers believe that the four-day event is “wrong and untimely” considering Azerbaijan’s extreme intolerance towards Armenians, Panarmenian.net reports.

The event organized by the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex and the Caucasus Center for Peace Initiatives with assistance from the British Embassy in Armenia was launched in the Armenian capital on Monday and has drawn mixed reactions from the Armenian public.

“This is just an attempt to give our students and teachers a better idea of our neighbors and to discuss our outstanding problems in the process,” Ashot Bleyan, the headmaster of the complex, explained in an interview with RFE/RL, expressing hope that such initiatives will make Armenian society “more tolerant.”

RFE/RL also quotes spokesman Vladimir Karapetyan as saying that the Foreign Ministry of Armenia welcomes the initiative that they hope will have a positive impact on the Karabakh peace process. “We believe that this initiative is vivid proof of our commitment to peace and dialogue,” said the ministry spokesman.

Peace Call: U.S. charge d’affaires in Armenia Joseph Pennington said in a press conference in Yerevan that his government would like Armenia and Turkey to step up the dialogue that would lead to normalization of ties between the two nations and opening of their sealed borders.

The official said that the U.S. government has clearly requested that the government in Ankara should abolish notorious article 301 of Turkey’s criminal code which has a “freezing effect” on the freedom of mass media and society (the article penalizes denigration of Turkish dignity).

Renaissance: Nagorno-Karabakh’s Ministry of Culture is due to relocate to Shushi soon, Armenpress reports.

Authorities in Karabakh hope that their decision will promote the cultural revival of Shushi that has been known as a cultural center of the Caucasus. The news agency quotes Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan as stressing the importance of preserving Shushi’s architectural integrity.

Christmas: Yerevan’s municipality is allocating 25 million drams ($83,000) for holding New Year and Christmas festive arrangements in the city, Hayinfo reports. Concerts will be organized in Republic Square and throughout the city’s communities.

The New Year tree, which is being installed in Republic Square, will be lighted on December 20. The city officials give assurances they will institute control over Santa Claus “businesses” in the city by not allowing unauthorized persons in improper dressing to make money by amusing children.

Alma Mater Anniversary: The Khachatur Abovyan Yerevan State Pedagogical University is celebrating its 85th anniversary, the Azg newspaper reports. Various events dedicated to the anniversary will be staged throughout next year.

The University, which had only five departments when it was founded, now boasts of 11 faculties with 49 departments. The University has its own publishing house where it publishes several periodicals.

Compiled by Julia Hakobyan
Source: http://www.armenianow.com

Permanent link:  http://www.armpress.com/armenianow/2007/12/19/736/

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