Month: September 2006

PACE RAPPORTEURS ARE COMING TO YEREVAN

A1+
[07:26 pm] 22 September, 2006

In the PACE 2007 January session a report will be represented about
honoring of obligations and commitments by the Republic of Armenia.

On September 25-29 rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee
Mikko Elo, George Columbier and Secretary Despina Chatsivasilu will
be in Yerevan.

The members of the PACE Monitoring Committee will meet the Ambassadors
of the CoE countries and representatives of NGOs, high RA officials
including the Defense Minister, the Public Prosecutor, and the
Foreign Minister.

On September 28 the members of the Committee will have meetings in
the National Assembly. They will meet the NA Speaker, the members
of the NA delegation to the PACE, heads of NA standing committees,
and heads of NA oppositional parties. The same day the Committee
members will be received by RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan and
RA President Robert Kocharyan.

"ARMENTEL" DENIES

A1+
[07:49 pm] 22 September, 2006

"ArmenTel" claims that he does not "invent" bills of imaginary
phone calls. The company has made a statement in answer to suchlike
accusations saying, "We would like to inform the society in general
and our subscribers in particular that no imaginary phone calls are
ever registered in their bills. The calls are registered not only in
the billing system of "ArmenTel" but also in the international station
and finally in the phone system of the country where you have phoned".

The Company claims that the issues published in the press do not
correspond to the reality.

"There were cases when subscribers visited the service centers of
"ArmenTel" claiming that they did not make the calls registered in
their bills. Nevertheless, it turned out that they really made those
calls. Even if there are misunderstandings, we solve them in favor
of the subscribers.

DEAR SUBSCRIBERS,

"ArmenTel" is one of the largest companies of the country which
makes great investments for the development of the telecommunication
infrastructures.

And the statements of some newspapers that "ArmenTel" which makes
investments of 30 billion USD annually can add the bills of the
subscribers for a few thousand drams is at least strange".

WILL OSKANYAN BE PRESIDENT?

A1+
[08:07 pm] 22 September, 2006

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan did not exclude the possibility
of his participation in the 2008 Presidential elections.

Answering the questions about his possible participation in the 2008
Presidential elections by magazine "Nouvelles d’Armenie" which is
published in France, the Foreign Minister said, "It is still too
early to speak about it".

"I know that I still have much to do in this country, and I would
like to continue my work. As for how, time will show", Oskanyan said.

The Armenian press has supposed many times that Oskanyan can be
the possible successor of Kocharyan and be supported by "Prosperous
Armenia" created by Gagik Tsaroukyan.

According to the legislation, Vardan Oskanyan who left California
for Armenia in 1992 and got citizenship in 1998 will have the right
to participate in the 2008 Presidential elections, Radio station
"Azatutyun" reports.

THE LIBERATION OF ARTSAKH WAS THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT

A1+
[08:17 pm] 22 September, 2006

15 years is not a short period for the development of a country. On
September 21 the 15th anniversary of the RA Independence was
celebrated. The RA authorities spared no words to praise the progress
of the country. What do the people think about it? According to 47%
of the readers of the website A1+, the greatest achievement of the
independent Armenia was the liberation of Artsakh.

14% considered the greatest achievement the creation of the
army. Democracy, freedom of speech and free economy gathered 3%
each. 30% of the 426 participants of the poll think that there have
been no achievements.

This week the poll question is "How do you assess the level of
development of the Informational and Telecommunication Technologies
which is considered the major branch of the RA economy?"

As usual, we expect your active participation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HAIK BABUKHANYAN INTERVIEWED ON RESIGNATION OF CRU CHAIRMAN

Panorama.am
15:25 22/09/06

After the resignation of Hrant Khachatryan, Constitutional Right
Union (CRU) chairman, everybody is interested in what’s going on in
the party. Today Panorama.am interviewed the acting chairman of CRU,
Haik Babukhanyan.

– Mr. Babukhanyan, what is the situation in CRU after Hrant
Khachatryan’s resignation? Everybody is working.

We have held sessions of chairmanship and executive board. All services
and committee are working in their normal realm. The regional and
community units are also working as normal.

– Some mass media outlets made an impression that with the resignation
of Hrant Khachatryan your dream has come true. Have you ever dreamt
that Hrant Khachatryan resigns? I have never dreamt of leading the
party. On the contrary, I had a wish that Hrant Khachatryan stays
as the head of the party. I have told the conference and will repeat
that he is the honorable chairman of the party. But every person has
the right to choose what to be busy with. Taking up the leadership
is an extra burden and responsibility for me.

– In fact do you take up the post of the party’s head?

According to the charter and our conference decision, yes, in case
the head of the party resigns, I take up his responsibilities.

– Mr. Babukhanyan, before his departure Hrant Khachatryan said he
has several demands. What is your reaction to them and will they be
called to life? I accept them as normal. His wishes are our wishes. We
have never had arguments in this regard. There will be no problems
in that sense.

-How did you depart with ex-chairman of CRU, as friends or…?

– Not only we are partners, we are political friends.

In my case, I consider Mr. Khachatryan as my friend.

– What are your reactions to Hrant Khachatryan’s supporters who blame
you in financial misappropriations?

– I myself am part of Mr. Khachatryan’s team.

– I mean after disagreements and disputes.

Both before the dispute and after it I am against that there will be
such a notion as "Mr. Khachatryan’s supporters" because I am personally
his supporter.

When our conference elected him as a chairman, it means all the
delegates supported him. We think people should be free and decline
from using words like "supporters, people of the same team."

As far as some party members are concerned who have used libel
through statements and newspapers (Babukhanyan is speaking about
Karen Vardanyan who said Babukhanyan has misappropriated funds),
they have performed the order of the state in order to create
disagreements within the party. An application is forwarded to
the supervision committee to check what they say. So, it will be
checked how truthful these statement are. If they meet the reality,
corresponding conclusions will be drawn. If they don’t, the libelers
will give an answer according to our charter.

/Panorama.am/

MANUKYAN SAYS THIS WAS 4TH ARMENIA-DIASPORA MEETING

Panorama.am
16:07 22/09/06

NA deputy Vazgen Manukyan said everybody forget that in fact the first
Armenia-Diaspora meeting was held in 1991 when business community
from Diaspora was invited to Armenia while Manukyan served as a
prime minister.

Manukyan said they had plans to open an Armenian bank in Paris with
5% of starting capital from the Armenian government and 95% from the
Diaspora. This bank never opened, Manukyan said.

Manukyan has no high hopes with the poverty alleviation program in
rural communities because he says no clear-cut programs are proposed
and supervision mechanisms are not in place. "First of all the state
must not be corrupt so that people make financial assistance," he said.

Deputy of National Assembly, Khachatur Sukiasyan, also agreed with
Vazgen Manukyan. He said Armenia should become attractive for the
Diaspora. /Panorama.am/

SECOND ARMAGROFORUM KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
16:09 22/09/06

"I am sure the forum will create opportunities for international
cooperation in the agricultural sector," Davit Lokyan, minister of
agriculture, addressed the forum, which kicked off today in Yerevan
as part of III "Armenia-Diaspora" Conference. Lokyan said it aims to
step up mutually beneficial relations between the local and foreign
entrepreneurs.

Minister Lokyan read out the address of President Robert Kocharyan
which says, "Serious achievements have been made since the first
Armagroforum."

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan also made a speech at
the opening ceremony. In his words, the government attaches great
significance to the rural sector of the republic. "Privatization of
land has created a number of problems in line with positive results,"
he said. He said government support is needed to address part of the
problems, including, development of irrigation system, food safety,
plant protection, credits to rural communities and sale of agricultural
products.

The Armenian government and Yerevan offices of USAID, AMCOR and
a number of other international organizations support the second
international Armagroforum. Representatives from 35 countries,
international organizations, educational establishments within Newly
Independent State, state sector of Armenia and the diplomatic corps
take part in the event. /Panorama.am/

TWO TOP OFFICIALS MISNAME PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARYAN

Panorama.am
18:20 22/09/06

No one at the second international Armagroforum misheard Minister of
Agriculture Davit Lockyan who said at the opening ceremony, "President
of Armenia, Robert Sargsyan, has an address to the conference."
Participants could not help their laughs at the hall.

Soon after Karen Tchshmaritsyan, minister of trade and economic
development, made another mistake in his speech at Panarmenian
EXPO-2006 saying, "The honor to open the exhibition is given to Robert
Kocharyan, Armenian prime minister." The president took the mistake
with humor and smiled.

Of coarse, no one is guaranteed against such mistakes but psychologists
believe that mistakes made by chance have deep subconscious roots. We
can say that one of our ministers envisages someone with the surname
Sargsyan as a president (most probably Serzh Sargsyan) while the other
minister thinks that Robert Kocharyan may become a prime minister and
administer the government. Such developments are variously scenarioed
by the opposition. /Panorama.am/

ARMENIAN THEATERS STAGE ALFRED DE MUSSET’S PLAY

Armenpress

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: A play by a 19-th century French
playwright, Alfred de Musset, called Marianne’s Whims (Un Caprice
de Marianne) was translated into Armenian and will be staged by two
Armenian theaters on October 4, 5 and 7 within the frameworks of the
French Festival in Armenia and the Year of Armenia in France.

A French Armenian theater director, Serge Avedikian, invited to stage
the play, said at a news conference today that the Armenian culture
ministry and the French embassy in Yerevan financed the Armenian
translation of the play.

Avedikian said the idea was to do the play through a modern approach
first in Armenia and then to show it in France next year. Alfred de
Musset wrote the play in 1833.

HEADS OF HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS PASS TRAINING COURSES

Armenpress

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: As part of events directed towards
the development of the tourism sphere in Armenia 23 senior officials
of hotels and restaurants in Yerevan and Armenian provinces passed a
6-day training courses within the framework of a program on teaching
international standards to people working in the service sector.

The training program has been organized by the USAID’s Development
of Human and Institutional Potential program in close cooperation
with "Competitive Private Sector in Armenia" and with the financing
of USAID.

Anoush Yedigarian, the director of the Academy for Educational
Development (AED) Yerevan Office, which is carrying out the program,
said that for increasing the quality of services in hotels and
restaurants first of all it is necessary to establish an effective
control, that is to say, to create a body which will carry out the
control. According to her, it will be possible to make the work of
these bodies more effective by conducting discussions over "You
as a Leader," "Team Work," "Improvement of Work of an Official,"
"Improvement of Communication," "Time Management" etc. as well as
by holding practical studies.

For the implementation of the program a competition was announced
the winner of which has become the Educational Institute of American
Hotels and Hospitality Association. The institute is carrying out
trainings and is conducting qualifying exams around the world giving
the participants who pass them successfully special certificate of
"Qualified Leader of Hospitality".

Alexan Ter-Minasian, the director of "Berlin Guests’ House" hotel
in Gyumri and participant of the program, said during the 5 days
of training they managed to learn important elements of effective
management which are simple and at the same time very useful.

An expert from the Educational Institute of American Hotels and
Hospitality Association Jennifer Calhun said that after the training
the participants will be more prepared. "It is also important for the
participants to assess what they know and what they think they know,"
said she, adding that the level of their preparedness and the results
of the training will be clear after the exams.