On July 13, National Assembly Chairman Artur Baghdasaryan paid a visit to the Armenian National Picture Gallery and the “Kilikia” beer factory. NA Chairman sought to familiarize himself with the problems facing the cultural centre as well as, to encourage the business world to pay closer attention and look after the culture.

At the Armenian National Picture Gallery the NA Chairman visited exhibition, featuring works of Armenian, Greek, Italian, Russian painters as well as applied and decorative art on display for the first time. Mr. Baghdasaryan met National Gallery employees. “It was the first time we had a chance to address our questions to a high-ranking official,” the staff members said.

The museum was reopened in May after the renovation works conducted through the financial assistance of the Lincy Foundation. Despite the construction works conducted at the museum air conditioning and heating issues haven’t been resolved, Gallery director Paravon Mirzoyan pointed out. Fifteen books, calendars have been published over the past two years on the Gallery’s initiative, he said. The Gallery’s status should be revised turning the Gallery into a research institute, the staff believed. The Gallery employees complained about the low salary rates. Mr. Baghdasaryan promised to see to the problem. NA Chairman proposed to present the appropriate programmes for the publishing activities while the salary issue will be addressed during the debates on the FY 2005 budget. NA Chairman claimed there is a benefactor who is keen to solve the heating problems as well.

Later, NA Chairman paid a visit to the “Kilikia” beer factory. Beer, lemonade and natural juices produced by the factory are among the leaders of the Armenian market. The factory is equipped in accordance with the international production standards and exports increase with each year. 530 people work at the factory. “Kilikia” beer factory occupies a steady place on the Armenian market and it is paramount that the factory contributes to the culture’s development, NA Chairman pointed out.

NA Chairman answered reporters’ questions.

- What is your opinion of the internal political situation in Armenia and the current stage of the opposition-authorities relations?

- The internal political situation is rather calm, I believe. Dialogue with the opposition will be resumed in autumn.  We should try to unify our efforts to ensure the presence of all of 131 MPs at the Parliament. Of course, there will be some people who will be reluctant to return to the normal legislative activities but we will try to do our best to ensure the return of all MPs to the Parliament.

- The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs sent a notice to all the opposition MPs stating that their absence is considered irreverent and there is reliable information that radical changes will be made within the government in late summer, early autumn.

- We should accept the fact that none of us will occupy his/her position forever. Staff changes can always occur due to the situation in this or that sphere. Quite often the talk proves artificial, personalized directed against certain individuals which I do not consider appropriate. As for the notice sent by Raffi Petrosyan, it aimed at informing all the MPs who failed to attend sittings. This year as well in accordance with the NA Rules of Procedure before a regular session those absent are sent a notice to keep them notified. The Committee can find the absence irreverent if the relevant documents aren’t submitted in due time and the Committee held a meeting. Meanwhile the Committee will hold a meeting in September right before the Session opens.

- The opposition has declared they won’t submit any documents or hold talks with the coalition due to the very fact that they believe their absence is justifiable. What will happen next?

- Policy of declaring war is unacceptable. We should find mutually acceptable solutions. Even the wars end through a dialogue. The opposition-authorities standoff should also be resolved through a dialogue.  However, I must point out that the people aren’t excited about the boycott. My regional visits prove that the people demand that everybody participates in the parliamentary activities. The opposition camp’s leaders should also accept and understand that the Parliament is a venue for law making and they can contribute to more effective activity of this body through their statements. I ask you: can the “Electoral Code” that will be approved without the opposition be better than the one ratified under the presence of the opposition. I believe the opposition’s participation in the law-making process will encourage adoption of advanced laws. We should seek to find solutions and I again will encourage meetings with the opposition politicians in order to solve these issues.

- RA President joined the statement of certain CIS presidents on the OSCE activities, which was taken as a demarche against Europe. Meanwhile, you declare that all roads lead to Europe. How can you account for this contradiction?

- There is no contradiction. Armenia has adopted the road to the European integration. Of course, there exist some obstacles, difficulties on that dusty road and we should follow that road till the end. As for the statement, it doesn’t refer to Armenia’s cooperation with the OSCE at all. It refers to certain disagreements on some subtle issues. Naturally, each country should announce its own position, for we are a nation, have statehood, are autocratic state and must be able to distinctly announce our position on these moot points, which exist. This doesn’t mean that we deviate from our adopted road. We shouldn’t forget that we are still in transition and all political forces are keen to follow this road.

CIS member states have their philosophy of development and these states have adopted the rules of the game by which Armenia as a member country should play. Naturally, numerous problems exist in terms of integration to the CIS and European structures both as separate states and global entities.

- RA President’s Office of Supervision Services is scheduled to monitor the entrance exams as it did during the medal exams. Isn’t the NA Control Chamber going to undertake similar initiative?

- “Orinats Yerkir” will do its best to rescind the “entrance exam” notion. And we are not far from achieving this aim only a year is left. We have declared and are declaring that we will reach that our country won’t have any state order places. That is clever children should study for free. Those who are bright they should enjoy the state order support and not the children of the rich and the officials. All the controversy around the entrance exams is connected with two issues: state order and military service.  And we should gradually overcome that obstacle. We will pass the law “On Higher and Post-Graduate Education” in September-October. The educational system will undergo a serious reform in three main directions. The social factor is that the children of deceased freedom fighters, and from socially vulnerable families. Only children from far-off borderline areas will enjoy the state order privileges. All children who perform well will continue studying for free. I make a political statement: those who aren’t keen for, they are keen to boost corruption in the system of higher education. We will fight against it. Of course, this campaign will dip at many people’s pockets but we will wage this battle to the end. We must carry out this reform and allow the intelligent to study for free as is the practice in the developed countries. We are for monitoring. We will propose that the entrance exams be open both for the media and the general public.

- Is it possible that this and some other issues will add up and create a rift within the coalition?

- The allegations on the coalition’s rift are exaggerated. However, we can’t rule out that the parties might clash over certain issues. None is warranted to retain his office  or chair. At the moment there exist no serious contradictions between the parties. We face serious problems, serious disappointment, but all of them are surmountable and we were able to overcome those difficulties through a dialogue.