Month: October 2006

NEW TIMES PARTY LEADER SPEAKS ABOUT A-320 AIRLINER CRASH AND CHEWS A CHEWING GUM

Panorama.am
17:43 25/10/06

The chairman of New Times Party, Aram Karapetyan, decided to call a
press conference today and tell about his verdicts on A320 airliner
crash unveiling his secret sources about the incident. Karapetyan had
several questions which remained without answers and he is going to
forward them to the general prosecutor’s office tomorrow.

Karapetyan has these and similar questions: were there any attempts by
criminal elements to force the landing of the airliner; were there any
beatings on this ground and was the commander of the airliner beaten;
were there gold, diamond, money in big quantities on the airliner;
why the airliner did not return to Yerevan after being warned by the
air conductor; have VIP passengers been checked by security services;
did they have any arms and explosives; if yes, has any criminal case
been instituted; has any Russian-Armenian group established between
the prosecutor’s services of the two countries.

Finally, the speaker wants to know if the Russian media reports have
any real grounds which say that the reality was different but it was
not unveiled because of political reasons.

Karapetyan thinks it doubtful that another A-320 was fired several
days after Sochi incident. The party leader believes all technical
documents of Sochi A-320 were in this airplane. Karapetyan’s sources
say that this airliner has been delivering gold and drugs once in
three months. However, Karapetyan failed to name the sources saying
there are no proofs.

Karapetyan is sure the airliner pilots were not guilty in the
incident. He said they will continue investigation and come up with
their conclusions.

Tomorrow the anti-criminal movement will launch discussions on A-320
crash. Karapetyan blames the authorities for their inconsistency
in finding out the details. As reporters we must mention that Aram
Karapetyan had difficulty while speaking about the subject. No,
he was not troubled. It is really difficult to speak when you have
a chewing gum in your mouth.

UNDP AND HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND JOIN EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE RURAL POVERTY IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
19:31 25/10/06

Today, in the UN House in Yerevan, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund signed a memorandum
of understanding to closely cooperate in the area of rural poverty
alleviation in Armenia.

Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UNDP resident representative in Armenia and
Ms. Naira Melkumyan, Chief Executive of the Fund signed the memorandum.

Ms. Vidal noted in her speech: "Rural poverty alleviation is a serious
concern both for the government and the United Nations".

Rural poverty eradication was the focus of the recently held
Armenia-Diaspora Third Conference. UNDP and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
also participated in the conference and presented their respective
programmes in the field.

As of today, village development plans for 20 communities are already
developed with direct participation of the village inhabitants and the
local self-governance bodies, with UNDP"s assistance. UNDP’s support
will not be limited only to infrastructure, but to local projects in
the villages that generate jobs.

"We are very happy with the partnership with Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund that we formally establish today. We strongly believe that through
joining our efforts we will be able to achieve much more in our fight
against poverty in the country," – mentioned Ms. Vidal.

Ms. Melkumyan, in her answers to the journalists" questions, mentioned:
"We and UNDP agree on the methods to be used while supporting Armenian
villages.

Namely, we tend to provide means to build houses and not ready-made
houses. That is, we want to create all the necessary conditions for
villagers to become wealthy. Only in this case we will be successful
in our endeavours."

Currently, Hayastan All-Armenian Fund"s activities focus on improvement
of large-scale physical and development infrastructures. The Fund
has a proven track record: 138 miles (220 km) of roads, 81 miles
(130 km) of waterways, 36 schools, 3 electric transmission networks,
210 residential buildings, and 14 healthcare institutions.

UNDP is the UN"s global development network. We operate in 166
countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and
national development challenges. As they develop local capacity,
they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners..

ARMENIA PASSES TO WINTER TIME FROM OCTOBER 29

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the law "On Order of
Calculation of Time in the Territory of Armenia," from October 29,
Armenia passes to winter time: at 03:00 that day the clocks should
be put an hour back. Noyan Tapan was informed about it from the Press
Service of RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.

UN CONDITIONAL MODELLING-PLAY HELD AT RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. With the assistance of the
Armenian Association of the United Nations, a group of students
of the International Relations Department of the Russian-Armenian
(Slavonic) State University held on October 24 a modelled variant
of the UN Security Council sitting where every participant
"represnted" a UN member state. The main theme of the "sitting"
was the Palestinian-Israeli crisis on the occasion of which the
participants adopted a special resolution after a discussion lasted
for some hours. In words of Valeri Tkachuk, the representative
of the UN Public Information Department, "UN modelling is a too
interesting play," which has been held already for some years
not only among young students but also among ready specialists,
politicians and diplomates. In his words, the event held in the
Slavonic University is the 3rd among the 7 modellings envisaged in
Armenia and "it’s gratifying that, by happy coincidence, this event
was held just on the day of the UN foundation, October 24." In words
of Armine Halajian, the board responsible for information, the event
has mainly an educational goal as every participant, being involved
in discussions and undertaking role of any country’s representative,
study deeply that country’s history, geography, foreign policy, etc.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KAREKIN II CATHOLICOS EXPECTS BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES’ SUPPORT IN AFFAIR OF BUILDING OF ARMENIAN CHURCH

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

ETCHMIADZIN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on October 24 at the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Sergey Sidorsky, the Prime Minister
of Republic of Belarus who is on an official visit in Armenia,
Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
expressed satisfaction with making closer and strengthening the
Armenian-Belarusian relations at the state level, considering them
natural consequence of centuries-old friendship of the Armenian and
Belarusian peoples. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Services
of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, the Armenian Patriarch thanked
in the person of the Prime Minister the authorities of Belarus as
well for the attentive and careful attitude towards the Armenian
community. His Holiness expressed confidence that the authorities
will support the Armenian community in the affair of construction of
an Armenian church in Belarus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT VISITS BORDER MILITARY UNITS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 23-24, RA President,
Commander-in-Chief of RA Armed Forces, Robert Kocharian visited
a number of border military units. The goal of the visit was to
get familiarized with technical equipment and fighting trim of
military units on the spot. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA
President’s Press Office, R.Kocharian visited military training rooms,
followed the process of trainings, spoke to officers and soldiers,
got acquainted with their living conditions. During the two-day visit
the Commander-in-Chief of RA Armed Forces had a possibility to closely
familiarize himself with the discipline level of a number of military
units, fighting, tactical and moral-psychological condition of officers
and soldiers, social conditions of officers and their families.

ARMENIAN AND TURKISH PHOTOJOURNALISTS’ JOINT EXHIBITION OPENS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Exhibition of Armenian and Turkish
photojournalists under the title Merhabarev took place on October
25 at Moscow cinema of Yerevan. The exhibition was organized by
the Caucasian Media Institute with the sponsorship of the Embassy
of Switzerland in RA. The Merhabarev is the first joint program of
photojournalists of Patkerphoto Armenian and Nar Turkish agencies. In
the words of the Patkerphoto founder, photographer Ruben Mangasarian,
five Armenian photographers took photos of Istanbul and five Turkish
photographers took some pictures in Yerevan streets. In the words
of Turkish photojournalist Oscan Yurdalan, the exhibition’s name,
Merhabarev, is a double greeting consisting of Turkish word "merhaba"
and Armenian "barev" (greeting). He said that he communicates with
his Armenian colleagues "in the language of documentary photography,
which enables "to concentrate upon the present at the same time sending
a message to the future." And photojournalist Anahit Hayrapetian said
that in Istanbul she has worked with representatives of various local
strata and has never met any obstacle or pressure. "We, Armenians,
by saying "Turks" imagine a savage people, which indeed is not so,"
Anahit said. As she affirmed, it is already time that ice between
the two peoples melt.

DESIGN OF ARMENIA-GEORGIA HIGH-VOLTAGE LINE TO BE COMPLETED BY LATE 2006

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged to complete the
design of the 400-kv high-voltage line from Georgia to Armenia by the
end of 2006, after which a tender to choose a construction organization
will be announced.

Karen Poghosian, architect of Grig Realty company that implements
the design work, told NT correspondent that the high-voltage line
will be 215-km long. The customer of the construction is Georgia’s
Ministry of Energy.

FREEDOM TO VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN SIT-DOWN STRIKE PARTICIPANTS SEND OPEN LETTER TO ARA ABRAHAMIAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 25, the participants of
the Freedom to Vahagn Chakhalian sit-down strike sent an open letter
to Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia, Ara Abrahamian,
proposing him supporting release of member of Presidency of the the
United Javakhk democratic bloc, Vahagn Chakhalian, from "clutches
of violence ruling in Armenia." Emphasizing A.Abrahamian’s rich
experience of releasing and returning to the homeland Armenia’s and
Russia’s citizens sentenced on the charge of "taking part in armed
coups" in African countries, the letter authors propose "also using
such approach" towards Vahagn Chakhalian, Presidency member of the
United Javakhk democratic bloc arrested in Yerevan with the absurd
accusation of "illegally crossing the Armenian state frontier" and
releasing the national figure from clutches of violence ruling in
Armenia." The participants of Freedom to Vahagn Chakhalian sit-down
strike ask Ara Abrahamian to take into consideration the fact that
"the efforts of RA National Assembly 17 Deputies, a number of parties
and organizations to release V.Chakhalian from custody are perceived
by RA law enforcement body heads and their chiefs as "a voice in the
wilderness," the letter read.

JAPAN’S CREDIT PROGRAMS AIM TO ASSIST ARMENIA WITH ITS ECONOMIC REFORMS, ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian authorities attach
special importance to the consistent development of friendly relations
with Japan – one of the leading countries in the Asian-Pacific region,
taking into account this country’s contribution to maintenance of
peace and stability in the world and its assistance to developing
countries. The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated this
at the October 25 meeting with the Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipoentiary to Armenia Yasuo Saito (residence – Moscow). He
noted with satisfaction that over the last 10 years the Japanese
government has provided assitance to Armenia both as official
development-aimed assistance at the bilateral level and through
international financial organizations. According to the prime minister,
general, cultural, small grant, and techical assistance programs, as
well as concessional credit programs related to such important sectors
of the Armenian economy as agriculture, small and medium enterprises,
community infrastructure, energy, culture, education and health care
are aimed at assisting Armenia with its economic reforms. A. Margarian
pointed out the agreement on allocation of a 150 million-dollar
concessional loan to the Armenian government for re-equipment of the
Yerevan Thermal Power Plant and welcomed the Japanese government’s
intention to implement 2 new grant programs on development of rural
communities in the near future. He said that the development of rural
communities, especially mountainous and border ones, is one of the
priorities of the Armenian government’s economic policy, because the
poverty level is especially high in these communities.

According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, during
the meeting the sides also underlined the importance of cooperation
at the international level. Ambassador Saito indicated the scarce
natural resources and considerable intellectual potential as the
common features of the two countries, adding that if the latter is
efficiently used, the country may achieve a remarkable success.