Month: October 2006

THANKS GOD, THE NEIGHBORS ARE KIND-HEARTED PEOPLE

A1+
[02:33 pm] 17 October, 2006

It is already five years 40-year-old Vardan lives in the cellar of a
house on Azatutyun 11. In order to turn the cellar into a dwelling
place, Vardan used a lot of things found in the rubbish bins. The
inhabitants of the building also render their assistance to Vardan
by giving him clothes, food, etc.

Vardan has got no relatives. Vardan would have become a beggar but
for the neighbors’ assistance.

Vardan knows all the inhabitants of the building quite well. From
time to time he does various things for them getting food in return.

The neighbors claim that Vardan is a "conscientious person." He
helps the elderly people of the neighborhood doing shopping for
them. Mrs. Karine says that in case any of the neighbors helps Vardan
the latter expresses his gratitude many times.

Vardan has no problems in the neighborhood. But sometimes the boys make
fun of him. Nevertheless, Vardan is content with his conditions. If his
neighbors were not so kind Vardan would have to change his dwelling
place as he could rely neither on the state assistance nor on the
possibility of finding a job.

ARMEN JIGARKHANYAN: I AM THE MOST ORDINARY CLOWN

Panorama.am
15:57 16/10/06

Moscow Drama Theater headed by renowned Russian-Armenian actor Armen
Jigharkhanyan will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Yerevan. The
theater will stage the performance "A liar is needed" tomorrow evening
upon the invitation of the Armenian president.

In the words of Jigarkhanyan, 45 years ago he played exactly in the
same play in Russian Drama Theater after Stanislavski.

Jigarkhanyan has not been playing for several years giving way to
young actors. The attempts of the Armenian reporters to know if he
will come back to stage did not give results.

Laureat of state awards of the Armenian SSR, people’s artist of the
Soviet Union Armen Jigarkhanyan has played in more than 200 fiction
films and has been included in the book of world records. The
70 years old artist says about himself, "I am the most ordinary
clown."

INITIATOR OF ANTI-CRIMINAL MOVEMENT ADDRESSES TO THE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Panorama.am
16:43 16/10/06

"I can clearly state that all the acts of anti-criminal movement
are determined by the joint statements issued by parties which form
the movement.

I think not only Hakob Hakobyan but many others in the hall must be
arrested. As the chairman of New Times Party I can name other persons
and we will see if they will arrest them so eagerly," Aram Karapetyan,
chairman of New Times Party responded to President Robert Kocharyan’s
recent statement that anticriminal movement is a regular exploded
balloon while talking to a hearing on the devaluation of dollar
initiated by anti-criminal movement.

ARMENIAN DRAM STRENGTHENED BY 37% IN THE COURSE OF LAST THREE YEARS

Panorama.am
16:49 16/10/06

In the course of the last three years, the Armenian dram strengthened
against the American dollar by 37%, chairman of Central Bank Tigran
Sarkisyan told a parliamentary hearing today.

In his words, the strengthening of the national currency creates
a number of problems for the population. Those parts of the public
suffer the most who keep their money in foreign currency. Revaluation
of dram also negatively affects the incomes of citizens who receive
salary in the American dollar.

This concerns employees of international organizations, some mass media
as well as public sector employees and the shadow economy. The third
group make up citizens who receive money transfers from abroad. He
said 37% of households receive money transfers. Finally, he said
Armenian exporters suffer because they face competition problems in
the international market. Sarkisyan said the government of Armenia has
approved the list of actions targeting reduction of dollar turnover
volume in the country.

CUSTOMS SERVICE HEAD PROTECTS HIS DEPUTY

Panorama.am
17:22 16/10/06

The chairman of customs state committee, Armen Avetisyan, responded
to the recent statement made by business tycoon Khachatur Sukiasyan
who said deputy chairman of customs service, Gagik Khachatryan,
has several businesses and may pose serious impediments to those who
would like to engage in similar business.

Avetisyan said, "I was appointed in this post in the year 2001 and
since that time Khachatur Sukiasyan’s businesses are only growing."

Moreover, he said that the employees of Khachatur Sukiasyan have
failed to perform some tasks and presented the deputy chairman of
customs service as guilty. Avetisyan said he personally talked to
the Sukiasyan but he presented no facts. "Wouldn’t you like such
impediments which will grow your business?" he poses a rhetoric
question.

Avetisyan said checks have shown there are no problems with Galaxi
supermarket which belongs to Gagik Khachatryan as Khachatur Sukiasian
said. Avetisyan said that supermarket belongs to the relative of
Gagik Khachatryan. "If he is my deputy it does not mean he cannot have
relatives or that his relatives must be librarians. People after all
work and live," Avetisyan said.

Avetisyan also that that his employees are fired if they are found in
corruption. In the course of 9 months, 121 employees were dismissed,
37 were reproached and 86 did not pass attestation, he said.

"If you mentioned any customs service where there are no cases of
corruption I will be surprised," Avetisyan confesses. However, he
said every possible is done to curb corruption in customs sphere.

EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION HELD AT SCHOOLS

Panorama.am
17:34 16/10/06

Experimental examinations were held at several schools in Yerevan and
in Ararat marz. Students may register for school records only or they
may wish to transfer their grades to higher educational establishments.

Depending on their choice, the examination tests may vary. Education
Minister Levon Lazarian was concerned that students were not serious
about the exams. Today 714 schoolchildren registered for higher
education institute transfer exams and 2676 for school records.

The organizer of the exam, V. Barseghyan, said the money for
organizing this experimental examination at schools is provided
by World Bank. After watching the examination, the minister said,
"This system is not better that the one we had. It is full of open
questions."

CUSTOMS HEAD SAYS DEVALUATION OF DOLLAR AFFECTS NEGATIVELY ON EXPORT

Panorama.am
18:06 16/10/06

The chairman of customs service, Armen Avetisyan, said as a citizen he
is happy that dram is strengthened against dollar but as an official
he is not. He said customs revenues partly decrease due to devaluation
of dollar.

He also said export has gone down making up 296 bln drams against 320
bln last year. He said for example the volume of molybdenum export
has increased but the prices of international exchange have gone down.

Export of diamond, cognac, vodka, processed and semi-processed gold
have gone down too. He said, on the other hand, import has increased
making up 573 bln drams against 485 bln January-September, last
year.

ARMENIA NOT IN DANGER OF FINANCIAL COLLAPSE

Panorama.am
19:52 16/10/06

Financial collapse may happen in Armenia only if the national currency
is fixed, Tigran Sargsyan, head of Central bank, told a parliament
hearing today referring to the example of Latin America.

In his words, the national currency was fixed in these countries
under the conditions of liberal economy.

"Power authorities did not allow the market to formulate the exchange
rate and that brought to financial collapse in those country,"
Sargsyan said.

After studying this experience, the Armenia authorities decided that
fixing currency exchange is not preferable for Armenia. "That is
why we are conducting a policy of freely floating exchange rate,"
Sargsyan mentioned.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II RECEIVES JUSTICE MINISTERS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Panorama.am
13:14 17/10/06

On October 13, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, received 150 participants of the 27th
Conference of the Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe, being
held in Yerevan. Among the participants were the Justice Ministers
of the 46 member states of the CE.

The delegation to Holy Etchmiadzin was led by Davit Harutyunian,
Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.

The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the participants to Holy
Etchmiadzin and spoke of the theme of the conference – "Victims:
Status, Rights and Assistance". His Holiness stated, "Today the
issue of assistance to and rights of victims is on the forefront of
your thoughts and actions. However, this issue has been troubling
mankind since biblical times and has accompanied the Church since its
inception, since the formation of the first Christian communities. Our
priests have dealt with such realities as they have brought their
consoling assistance and message of hope to individuals who have been
victimized, and as a result, we consider the work you are doing to be
highly beneficial to the healing process, as well as the reinforcement
of a healthy society."

His Holiness further stressed the greater frequency of victimization
has become troubling, and that today, the Church considers her
social and spiritual mission to be of assistance to all who suffer,
especially with regards to the psychological and moral consequences
of this phenomenon.

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services

MODERNIZATION OF AZERI ARMY NOT MATTER OF SEVERAL MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2006 15:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Modernization of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan is
not a matter of several months and even years. The shortest way is
to transfer at least part of military detachments to forming on the
basis of a contract, as well as launching staff retraining programs
similar to Train and Equip, held in Georgia with the support of the
US analyst of Spectrum Center for Strategic Analysis Sergey Sargsyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, even Georgian experience shows
that making even a few battalions comply with NATO standards takes 2-3
years. Besides, as neither Armenia, nor NKR are not going to attack
anyone, the expenses for sustaining combat efficiency for a defense
doctrine will be lower," Sargsyan underscored.

At the same time he underscored that the complicated relief in the
conflict zone, deeply echeloned system of NKR Defense Army positions,
modern engineering fortification, impossibility for Azerbaijan to have
an advantage in the air in the foreseeable future allow sustaining
the current balance of power for a long period of time. "Although,
of course relaxing and hoping for the balance to be sustained by
itself is inadmissible. On the other hand this is rather the military
aspect, while the excessive financing of Azeri Defense Ministry at
the expense of social programs is the political one and it may arouse
wide discontent of the population," he said.