24 YEARS # 3 (1138) The Noah’s Ark 31 January 23 YEARS 2017 The #28 Noah’s Ark Published(1116) Since 1993 25 July Weekly Newspaper H I G H L I G H T S Նոյյան Տապան շաբաթաթերթ (անգլ./ֆրանս.) 2016 th Published Award ceremony on 25 Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³µ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) anniversary of the Armed Forces Hostages Released In Yerevan On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of and orders, and bestowed on them high mil- The President of Armenia congratulated the creation of the Armed Forces of the Re- itary ranks for the courage manifested in de- the servicemen and the freedom fighters on public of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan fending the borders of the Fatherland, valor, the occasion of the holiday and on receiving awarded over two hundred military service- boundless dedication, as well as for their con- high state awards. men and freedom fighters with the highest tribution to the army building and enhance- awards of the Republic of Armenia, medals ment of the battle readiness of the troops. seeSee page p. 2 3 InIn ThisThis IssueIssue Noyan Tapan Press-Center U.S.Government, Condemns ArmedOpposition Attack Reach on Armenian New Noyan Tapan Press Center holds different discussions, press conferences, round tables, teleconferences, seminars each week which are broadcast PoliceDeal on Election Broadcasts p.4p.5 live on the Internet. We invite you to take advantage of the Center, as well as to place your banner in our Press Room. Tel: 060 35 11 22. Oil prices rise as market shrugs off Armenia, Russia sign protocol on nu- Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan, 0009 Turkey coup bid clear safety information exchange p.6p.6 California State Board of Education Noyan Tapan Printing House adoptsArmenia expanded ranked Armenian113th in Corruption is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital GenocidePerceptions curriculum index 2016 p.11p.16 printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with Victor Ambartsumian International Science high quality and low prices Tel: 060 35 11 22 Urartu-era artifacts unearthed Prize not to be awarded this year p.16 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 in Armenia’s Gavar p.17 The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 25 July #28 (1116) 2016 2 POLITICS Armenian, Russian Prime Ministers Meet in Moscow “We have special allied relations with Armenia and we always have what to discuss,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said as he greeted his Armenian counterpart Karen Karapetyan. Medevedev said he hopes that the documents to be signed within the framework of the Armenian Prime Minister’s visit will further enhance the development of economic ties. “Our commodity turnover has been stable, despite the internation- al conjuncture and the change in energy prices,” Dmitry Medvedev said. “If we speak of our country’s imports and supply of products from Armenia, we stated a 70% growth last year which, to my mind, is the result of Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union and strengthened economic ties,” he added. PM Karapetyan said. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan said, in turn, that “the meeting “A series of reforms are underway in Armenia aimed at creating a is a good opportunity to discuss directions of the Armenian-Russian favorable environment for investors. In this respect, we would high- cooperation.” ly appreciate the commitment of the Russian capital. We have come “We have been traditionally boasting quite a hectic agenda of bi- along with a number of new proposals, which will allow us to diver- lateral relations. As you noted, our governments have been able to sify and expand the vectors of cooperation. I am confident, too, that move on amid a complicated international situation faced in recent we are in for a constructive conversation,” Karen Karapetyan stated. years. You may know that the Russian capital is widely represented On the sidelines of the working breakfast, the official delegations of Armenia’s economy. However, I believe that we should not relax, the two countries will discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest and today we can explore and outline new directions of cooperation,” and sign a number of documents. Territorial integrity cannot be Armenia’s Foreign Minister, opposed to self-determination, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Armenia’s Deputy FM says meet in Vienna “Territorial integrity of a country of fundamental norms of interna- can’t be opposed to the people’s tional law,” Shavarsh Kocharyan right to self-determination,” Ar- said in comments to Panorama. menian Deputy Foreign Minister am. “It is worth reminding that Shavarsh Kocharyan has said. according to the UN Charter the The comments come after the status of self-determined subject statement of Azerbaijani Presi- is decided by its people, and the dent Ilham Aliyev at the opening territorial integrity of a country of a military camp in Baku. can’t be opposed to the people’s “We will never allow the cre- right to self-determination,” he ation of the second fictitious Ar- added. “The leadership of Azer- menian state on the territory of baijan should have read the UN Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh Charter long ago not to become will never be granted indepen- an object of mockery with its rat- dence”, Aliyev said. “The fact tling illiteracy, and should come that the state of Azerbaijan ap- to terms with the inevitability of On January 27 in Vienna, Ed- the dynamic development of peared on the world’s map less the prospective to recognize the ward Nalbandian, Foreign Min- bilateral cooperation in different than a century ago, cannot serve Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” ister of Armenia, had a meeting fields. as a justification for Azerbaijani the Deputy Foreign Minister stat- with Sebastian Kurz, the OSCE The interlocutors touched leadership’s lack of knowledge ed. Chairperson-in-Office, Austri- upon the issues concerning an Federal Minister for Europe, the different dimensions of the Integration and Foreign Affairs. OSCE activity. During the meeting a number Edward Nalbandian and Se- of issues of the Armenian-Aus- bastian Kurz praised the activity trian cooperation were dis- of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. cussed. The Ministers noted that Foreign Minister of Armenia it is symbolic that their meeting and the OSCE CiO exchanged takes place on the days, when views on the importance of the Armenia and Austria mark the implementation of agreements 25th anniversary of establish- reached at Summits on Na- ment of diplomatic relations, gorno-Karabakh, held in Vienna and expressed satisfaction over and St. Petersburg. 31 January #3 (1138) w 2017 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS 3 Congratulatory message by President Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of Army Day Dear Compatriots, home guard. We were aware that the Fidai Events of last April proved once again (and I congratulate you on the occasion of the movement, even if of a heroic nature, had I stress “once again’) to our adversaries that Army Day and the 25th anniversary of the no prospects. The time had come to create the use of force or threats to use force is a creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic a professional army. Military servicemen all tragic and dead-end road, which means it’s of Armenia. over the Soviet Union answering the call of not a road at all. The Armenian Army was created along the Fatherland gathered here and carried out Those events had also proved the vital and with the reestablishment of our statehood. that tremendous task. crucial importance of the safety zone creat- However, the formation of the Army start- ed around Artsakh. We are not going to fight ed earlier, and it started not from the top but another elongated war in the doorway and from the bottom, spontaneously, through the kitchen of our own home, we have done it instinct of self-defense of the people. already. Hideous events, which had taken place in Sumgait, Baku, and other places in Azer- Dear Fellow Citizens, baijan, awaked our historic memory with The blood of our martyrs is the price we the blood-chilling pictures of massacres and have paid for our freedom and our future. forced deportations. Formed spontaneously Today, the thankful generation is bowing to but deeply consciously the voluntary move- the memory of our immortals and continues ment and first units of volunteers had become with honor the patriotic work of their grand- the axis on which the glorious and victorious fathers and fathers. structure – the Armenian Army would rise. Today’s servicemen and conscripts, now We, as a nation, had united. Last time, we with new structures and new weapons, con- had been united like this at Sardarapat. The tinue to improve and develop, continue to superior resources of the foe did not scare us. Dear Compatriots, be the unswerving shield for Armenia and On the contrary, that fact made us serious, or- Twenty-five years ago, by the order of Artsakh. Currently, it would be hard to find ganized, and focused. Our Army was formed Vazgen Sarkissian our Army became a state a stronger defender and a more ardent propo- at the battlefield. We were fighting agains the structure. From that day one, we were fight- nent of peace that the Armenian Army. enemy literally inside our own home. ing in the self-defense war at the state level. Next twenty-five years will be a period of I recall a true story: a man with the arms From that day on, the new and glorious his- a new qualitative rise for our Army. Officers, in hands was fighting the enemy in his own tory of the Armed Froces of the Republic of as a special stratum of our national intelli- home.