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Armenia in a Transforming World: ACNIS Releases New Yearbook

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  • Armenia in a Transforming World: ACNIS Releases New Yearbook

    PRESS RELEASE
    Armenian Center for National and International Studies
    75 Yerznkian Street
    Yerevan 375033, Armenia
    Tel: (+374 - 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
    Fax: (+374 - 10) 52.48.46
    Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
    Website: www.acnis.am


    April 12, 2006



    Armenia in a Transforming World: ACNIS Releases New Yearbook


    Yerevan--Today the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
    (ACNIS) publicly presented its annual trilingual almanac, this year entitled
    "Armenia in a Transforming World." The event brought together the yearbook's
    participating authors, editorial staff, publisher, foreign embassy staff,
    political scientists, and media representatives for the expression of mutual
    gratitude and the sharing of views and evaluations.

    Held in the official reception hall at ACNIS headquarters, the program was
    opened by Stiopa Safarian, the Center's director of research and academic
    editor of the new release. "The research presented in the yearbook
    encompasses Armenia's transnational and domestic challenges, which in the
    transforming world render imperative Armenia's own transformation. The
    answers provided by the authors to a variety of problematic issues such as
    international and regional security as well as Armenia's global surroundings
    and its complex relationships dictate new approaches for our Center and
    Armenia's analytical circles alike," he said.

    Stiopa Safarian then conveyed ACNIS founder Raffi Hovannisian's greetings as
    expressed in the preface to the new yearbook. He also added that the
    objective of this almanac is to elicit and share with policymaker and public
    alike the principal trends of the contemporary world, Armenia's development
    priorities against their background, and policy responses to the challenges
    facing the Republic.

    Before turning to the presentation of its contents, Safarian extended the
    Center's deep appreciation to the editorial staff and contributors for their
    diligent work, and acknowledged Vrezh Markosian, director of the Tigran Mets
    Publishing House, for his high-caliber production of the book. He also
    expressed gratitude to all the supporters of the Center throughout the
    world, who have made it possible to carry out such cutting-edge research
    programs in Armenia.

    The comprehensive studies on the strategic directions of regional security,
    Armenia's economy, and other domains of utmost importance, in addition to
    the applied analyses and documentary materials published in this volume, he
    said, consist of three main parts-"Armenia, Region, World"; "Public and
    Expert Opinion Surveys"; and "Maps." These reflect the activity of the
    Center and its associated partners during the past year.

    Part one of the 826-page compendium starts, in a chapter called "The Region
    and Its Conflicts," with an article by Dr. Martin Malek, a scholar from the
    Austrian National Academy of Defense, in which the author examines state
    collapse as a phenomenon of international relations. This monograph is
    followed by the works of ACNIS analysts Stiopa Safarian and Alvard
    Barkhudarian. The first of these is devoted to the origins of conflicts and
    symmetric and asymmetric solutions thereto, and the second to Mountainous
    Karabagh and its security parameters. Next, ACNIS analyst Hovhannes
    Vardanian presents the current democratization processes in the post-Soviet
    space, and senior fellow Hovsep Khurshudian looks into the latest dynamics
    in Armenian-Russian economic relations. This chapter concludes with Yerevan
    State University professor Aram Harutiunian's incisive analysis of modern
    Russian-American correlations and ACNIS analyst Alen Ghevondian's
    examination of modern Iran. Also a valuable asset for the reader is Alvard
    Barkhudarian's exploration of interests and speculations with respect to the
    Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

    The second chapter, on "Domestic Challenges," contains scholarly analyses
    and policy recommendations concerning the transformation of political
    thinking in Armenia; the peculiarities of the country's transitional period;
    constitutional and electoral code amendments in Armenia; the country's
    energy system; civil-military relations; and the attitude of Armenia's youth
    toward matters of national importance. These studies are prepared by
    Constitutional Court Justice Felix Tokhian, Karapet Kalenchian, Hovhannes
    Vardanian, Areg Barseghian, Alvard Barkhudarian, and Syuzanna Barseghian.

    The book's second part features a bilingual presentation of ACNIS's public
    and expert opinion polls conducted over the course of 2004 and 2005. They
    are entitled "Corruption in Armenia"; "Armenia's Thirteen-Year-Old
    Independence and Sovereignty"; "Public Opinion and Urgent Issues on Armenia'
    s Political Agenda"; "Constitutional and Electoral Reforms"; "The Karabagh
    Story: 17 Years in Progress"; "The Armenian Genocide: 90 Years and Waiting";
    "The South Caucasus: Common or Separate Destinies? Armenia's Place and Role
    in the Region"; "Regional and Community Development Issues in Armenia"; and
    "Development Issues in Yerevan."

    Finally, for the first time ever, this year's annual work product includes a
    section with twelve annotated maps depicting the past and present of the
    Mountainous Karabagh conflict. Yearbook 2005 concludes with a complete list
    of individual and institutional supporters of ACNIS from its founding to
    date.

    Words of appreciation were delivered, and assessments offered, by
    participating authors Alvard Barkhudarian, Hovsep Khurshudian, and many
    others. It was yet again emphasized that the main characteristic of the
    yearbook is the variety of themes and genres and the free competition of
    ideas and policy options.

    On behalf of the entire editorial staff, comprising Gevorg Lalayan, Stiopa
    Safarian, Hasmik Mkrtchian, Gor Grigorian, Noune Aidinian, Sayat Kuyumcuyan,
    Karapet Kalenchian, and Syuzanna Barseghian, the yearbook's editor-in-chief
    Gevorg Lalayan extended his heartfelt message. "First and foremost, this
    compilation is a product of teamwork. Even though the articles in this work
    explore different perspectives upon regional and geopolitical developments,
    in inherent measure they are geared toward the same objectives: the
    determination of Armenia's contemporary place and role and the bolstering of
    its political gravity," Lalayan closed.

    All invited guests and public participants were then offered complimentary
    copies of "Armenia in a Transforming World" together with a glass of
    Armenian sparkling wine.

    Founded in 1994 by Armenia's first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K.
    Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves
    as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges
    facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also
    aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider
    understanding of the new global environment. In 2006, the Center focuses
    primarily on civic education, conflict resolution, and applied research on
    critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

    For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax
    (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected]; or visit
    www.acnis.am
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