Month: October 2006

US AMBASSADOR TO OSCE REGRETS ON NOT MEETING WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.10.2006 13:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US Permanent Representative to the OSCE Julie
Finley considers invitation of OSCE observers crucial at parliamentary
elections in Armenia in 2007, she told journalists in Yerevan October
19. Finley noted that one of her interlocutors during an informal
meeting in Yerevan said that Armenian authorities nevertheless are
going to invite OSCE observers. "We urge the Armenian Government
to invite both long-term and short term missions. If you want OSCE
observers to follow the elections, you should put pressure upon your
Government, as we cannot monitor without an invitation," she added.

Answering a question how fair and transparent elections are possible
in Armenia, Finley said, "All my interlocutors in Armenia say that
the Armenian party intends to hold democratic elections in 2007 and
I do not have any ground for not believing them yet."

She regretted very much on Armenian President not receiving her and
she supposed that the President’s schedule was too busy. "To all
appearance, he did not meet with me, as he thought I do not possess
charm and I am not interesting as an interlocutor," she said.

"However, this was the only negative aspect of my visit. Maybe, he
could not meet with me, as he supposed that I will teach him what
and how to do," she said.

Meanwhile, US Permanent Representative to the OSCE did not ask for a
meeting with the Armenian President in advance. Besides, in compliance
with the protocol, an Ambassador of a foreign state or an organization
does not rank among officials, who are received by the President,
reports IA Regnum.

CHIRAC DID NOT PROMISE ERDOGAN TO INTERVENE IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL ADOPTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.10.2006 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French opposition Socialist Party’s lawmakers,
who proposed the controversial ‘genocide’ bill adopted last week by
Parliament, criticized French President Jacques Chirac for telling
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan he was sorry that French lawmakers
approved the bill – making it a crime to deny that Armenians were
subjected to a Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. "It is
disappointing that he [Chirac] apologized over parliamentary work,"
said Didier Migaud, deputy from the Socialist Party.

Erdogan said over the weekend that Chirac called him and said he was
sorry and also promised to "do everything he could in the following
process," referring to the readings through which the bill must pass
before becoming legislation. Chirac, during a visit to the Armenian
capital of Yerevan last month, said Turkey must recognize the alleged
Armenian genocide, before it can join the European Union. An official
from the French Foreign Ministry, referring to a telephone conversation
between Chirac and Erdogan, reportedly said Jacques Chirac did not
make a pledge that he would intervene or ensure that the bill was
annulled, Turkish Daily News reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIRST EVER POLISH-ARMENIAN AND ARMENIAN-POLISH DICTIONARY PUBLISHED

Armenpress
Oct 18 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS; A Polish publisher in Krakow has
published the first ever Polish-Armenian and Armenian-Polish dictionary
that contains about 15,000 entries in each section.

The dictionary was compiled by Polish and Armenian professors at
Jagellon University in Poland.

Rafael Hambardzumian, a Yerevan-based professor, who also was involved
in the work, said the dictionary is intended for those Poles who want
to learn Armenian and thousands of ethnic Armenians who have settled
in recent years in Poland.

ARMENIA NEEDS 1,700 FAMILY DOCTORS

Armenpress
Oct 18 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: Around 1000 Armenian family doctors
and as many hospital nurses are expected to have been trained by 2009
as part of a program designed to upgrade Armenia’s health system.

This program is supported by a World Bank credit.

Some 600 family doctors and 300 nurses have been trained
already. Samvel Hovhanesian, dean of family doctors department of
the National Health Institute, said the training of family doctors
and nurses will go on after the completion of the World Bank credit
program. He said in line with international standards Armenia needs
a total of 1,700 family doctors.

He said the institution of family doctors has been introduced already
in the majority of Yerevan clinics.

In 2008 it will embrace the whole of Armenia, he said.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS DO NOT HURRY TO QUIT SMOKING

Armenpress
Oct 18 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: David Petrosian, the chief manager
of a special center established last year in Yerevan to help people
wishing to quit smoking, said to Armenpress his country fellows were
not in a hurry to try do quit smoking.

Smokers wishing to give up this pernicious habit have to pay $50 to
doctors of this special anti-smoking center who offer medications
and psychological consultations to help quit smoking.

Petrosian said overall 17 people have asked for the center’s help in
12 months, but 2 people began smoking again, but he argued this did
not mean that Armenians were reluctant to quit smoking.

"We have to step up drastically the anti-smoking campaign to see
progress,’ he said The treatment of each patient here depends on
the extent of their tobacco dependence. David Petrosian cited some
figures saying that this sort of centers have helped to reduce the
number of smokers in the USA and some European countries from 70 to
25 percent. The center has a dietitian to consult people fearing they
may put on weight after quitting smoking.

The World Health Organization estimates that 63.7 percent of Armenian
men are smokers – the highest rate in Europe. By comparison, an
estimated 60 percent of men in neighboring Georgia are smokers and
31.2 percent in Azerbaijan.

BASE METAL EXPANDS PRODUCTION VOLUMES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Armenpress
Oct 18 2006

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: Base Metal company that has been
running the Drmbon gold and copper mine in Nagorno-Karabakh since 2002
has increased production volumes up to 300,000 tons of processed ore.

Company’s executive manager Artyom Mkrtumian said as a result the
company’s annual output this year will amount to $30 million. He
said the company plans to raise this figure up to 400,000 tons in the
second half of 2007, which he said would be possible after the local
plant’s reconstruction which though was built 3 years ago needs to
be expanded in view of the growing production volumes.

The chief manager said the company has already invested $20 million
with the bulk of this sum going to building of its infrastructure. By
the way, the plant was built in a site with no infrastructure at
all. He said the company plans to invest annually around $7 million
in construction of apartments for workers. The company employs now
1,600 workers with an average wage of 142,000 drams.

In terms of tax obligations this is the biggest company in
Nagorno-Karabakh. He said several more mines are expected to be
commissioned in the next couple of years. The Drmbon mine has estimated
4 million tons of ore. It can be exploited for another 10-12 years.

JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS HIGHER SALARIES OF JUDGES NOT A PANACEA FOR CORRUPTION

Armenpress
Oct 19 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, ARMENPRESS: Justice minister David Harutunian
warned yesterday that an expected rise of salaries of court judges
should not be reviewed in the context of an anti-corruption struggle,
saying judges must have high salaries so that to enjoy the trust of
the society.

"It is not a secret that the weight of any position is decided by the
amount of salary set for it and the rise of court judges’ salaries
supposes a higher degree of their independence," he argued.

The minister said one of the ways to fight corruption in the system
was to introduce innovations such as providing by judges detailed
explanations of their verdicts. Besides, he said, all court acts and
rulings will become accessible to all through Internet.

He said one of the innovations is that parties in the court trial will
be allowed to cite previous rulings on similar cases as precedents.

OSCE PLANS TO EXTEND ITS ELECTION MONITORING MISSION IN ARMENIA TO 90 DAYS

Armenpress
Oct 19 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, ARMENPRESS: Deputy parliament chairman Vahan
Hovhanesian, who is also head of Armenian Delegation to the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly and Samvel Nikoyan, a Delegation member,
met today with the visiting U.S. ambassador to the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, Julie Finley.

Armenian parliament press service said Julie Finley stressed that next
national elections in Armenia must be in conformity with international
standards saying the OSCE would like to extend its mission’s presence
in Armenia to monitor preparations for the next parliamentary elections
to 90 days. She said the presence of observers during pre-election
campaign as important as on the voting day.

The Armenian officials were said to underline the importance of fair
and transparent polls saying the parliament is set to pass a set
of changes to election code which were approved by the OSCE and the
Council of Europe.

OBSERVERS TO COME TO ARMENIA AFER THE ELECTIONS

A1+
[02:40 pm] 19 October, 2006

Vahan Hovhannesyan, Deputy Speaker of the RA National Assembly and
head of the Armenian delegation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
and Samvel Nikoyan, member of the Armenian delegation met with Julie
Finley, US ambassador to the OSCE.

Mrs. Finley highlighted the importance of holding just and fair
elections in Armenia in compliance with democratic criteria. At the
same time she attached great importance to the long-term (90-day)
presence of the OSCE observers’ mission in Armenia. In her words,
the presence of observers during the pre-election period is as vital
as during the elections.

Vahan Hovhannesyan and Samvel Nikolyan also focused on holding just
and fair elections in Armenia underlining that the amendments to the
Electoral Code will be soon endorsed. The amendments have already
been subjected to the OSCE and EU Venice Commission observation and
supported by the parliamentary forces.

The parties also referred to the activity of Central Election
Commission and to the importance of having complete and precise lists.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VERSUS CLIMATE CHANGES

A1+
[01:02 pm] 19 October, 2006

The Committee on Sustainable Development of the Council of Europe
Congress is organising a hearing to be held in Yerevan (Armenia)
on 19 October to discuss innovative approaches carried out at local
and regional level in dealing with the challenges of climate change.

The hearing, which will take place in the Ani Plaza Hotel from 1.45
pm to 6.30 pm, will be opened by Armenian Ecology Minister Vardan
Aivazyan and the Chair of the Sustainable Development Committee
Gaye Doganoglu. Gotelind Alber, a specialist on climate policy, will
present the perspectives for the next 100 years and policies at the
international level.

The participants will examine a variety of stake-holders’ responses
to the challenges of climate change. They will examine innovative
approaches aimed at fostering a new energy culture, a mobility society
and sustainable urban planning. The case studies are based on the
policies in the cities of Pamplona (Spain), Oslo (Norway), Paris
(France) and Miskolc (Hungary), as well as the Lower Austria Region.