Month: October 2006

ARMENIAN AND BELARUS PRIME MINISTERS HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON YEREVAN

Panorama.am
16:14 23/10/06

Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan is content with the pace of
cooperation between the governments of Armenia and Belarus. "I am
content with today’s negotiations," he told a press conference with
Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski.

Respective officials in the field of trade and economy, culture,
sports and tourism, social, customs signed documents today aimed to
bolster small and mid size business.

Prime Minister Sidorski who arrived with a big delegation late
yesterday said his country has high level of interest in high and
information technologies, cognac production and other fields of
Armenia. Sidorski said information technologies have high priority
both for Armenia and Belarus, saying his country has 40% of GDP in
information technologies.

Sidorski also said the two countries may seriously cooperate in the
field of energy. "Like Armenia, Belarus has no gas and oil," Sidorski
said saying the president of the country has assigned the government
to cut fuel energy resources by 25% on behalf of alternative energy
sources.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

R.HAMBARTSUMIAN: RA SHOULD CONDEMN RUSSIA’S ACTIONS AGAINST GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Russian
leadership unleashed act of terrorism against the Georgian Republic
and Georgian people and Russia’s punitive steps also do harm to
the Republic of Armenia by leading our country to a disastrous
blockade. This was said in the October 21 statement of Rafael
Hambartsumian, representative of the Union of National Unity.

In his words, Russia closes railway, motorway and air roads entering
Georgia, banishes citizens of Georgia, as well as Caucasians from
its country and spreads through media agitation of liquidating
Georgia’s state independence and splitting the country, etc. As the
statement authors mention, the most dangerous is that Russia strives
for turning difference of opinions between Armenia and Georgia in the
issue of Javakhk into an armed conflict for the purpose of making this
serve its interests. So, RA is obliged to undertake practical steps
to provide its security and to protect its military-political and
trade interests. Whereas, in R.Hambartsumian’s opinion, the Armenian
leadership has not clarified its attitude towards this conflict by now,
which has a negative impact on our country’s political authority and
security. "The Armenian leadership should officially condemn Russia’s
actions and mention that the Armenian people expects giving autonomy
to Javakhk from the Georgian leadership. RA should emphasize that
this step can lead Armenian-Georgian cooperation and friendship to
unprecedented level giving Armenia a legal basis for supporting Georgia
in infringements unleashed and to be unleashed against Georgia,"
the statement read.

DRAFT DECISION ON CREATING NA AD HOC COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSING ISSUES OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WITHDRAWN FROM AGENDA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Regular NA four-day session
started on October 23. The four-day session agenda was approved only
at the 2nd working sitting as a result of stormy discussions. The
main objections and questions of MPs related to again placing on the
agenda the legislative package submitted by RA government, "On Property
Alienation for Public and State Needs," without any essential changes
and without taking into consideration the objections made during the
parliamentary hearings. The next disputable bill was RA non-partisan
MP Viktor Dallakian’s initiative, which proposed making amendment to RA
Electoral Code, establishing order of NA formation by 100% proportional
system. The opponents’ objection was mainly conditioned by agreement
between political forces, according to which 41-91 correlation of
majoritarian and proportional seats was left unchanged. Another
disputable initiative was withdrawn from draft agenda before voting
at the suggestion of its author, non-partisan MP Tatul Manaserian. It
regarded draft decision to create a NA ad hoc commission for discussing
issues of the Armenian Genocide, which received a positive conclusion
at the October 20 sitting of NA Standing Committee on State and
Legal Issues. The author proposed creating the ad hoc commission
for clarifying the chronology of the Armenian Genocide, preventing
various commentaries, condemning the Armenian Genocide and adopting a
united position on recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The position
of the political forces represented at NA towards this proposal was
negative. In the opponents’ words, the idea of creating a commission
can be first of all used by those denying the Armenian Genocide,
who will say that Armenians themselves have a problem of clarifying
some issues connected with the Genocide. ARFD faction member Spartak
Seyranian considers that commission’s establishment will torpedo the
process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the whole world,
will cast doubt on already adopted decisions of the Supreme Council
and other countries’ parliaments on the Armenian Genocide.

GOOD FAKING OF BRAND-NAME CLOTHING IS COSTLY PLEASURE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no sense in faking of
brand-name clothing, because "high-quality" faking of production and
lables of famous companiies is a costly pleasure, while a low-quality
fake does not escape the byuer’s attention. Nazaret Grboyan,
Director of the Armenian Office of the Italian company Girotti,
expressed this opinion during a talk with NT correspondent. According
to him and Susanna Muradian, Director of the Armenian Office of the
clothing-manufacturing company Giordano (Honq Kong), they have no
informatoon about any case of revealing a faked product of their
companies in Armenia. It was mentioned that it is not a function of
the Armenian offices of their companies to implement control in order
to prevent faking of their production in Armenia and its unofficial
import into the country. According to a study conducted jointly by
the DAI ASME program on development on small and medium business
markets in Armenia and the consulting company Ameria in 2004, about
two thirds of underwear and clothing sold on the domestic retail
market was produced in Armenia, and most of it was sold as foreign
goods. The volume of the domestic market of underwear and clothing
made about 300 million drams (about 750 thousand USD) in 2004.

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: ARMENIA SHOUD NOT INTERFERE IN SOLUTION OF THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN PROBLEM

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian-Belarusian agreements on
cooperation in several sectors such as customs, social, cadastre, and
sports were signed on October 23 within the framework of the visit of
the delegation headed by the Belarusian prime minister to Armenia. The
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and the Belarusian Prime
Minister Sergei Sidorski took part in the signing ceremony. Following
the signing ceremony, S. Sidorski said that it is envisaged to open in
Armenia a center of machinery and equipment spare parts produced in
Belarus, as well as an office of Belarusian companies maufacturing
medical equipment. The Belarusian side expressed an intention to
cooperate with Armenian technoparks. S. Sidorski noted that they also
take interest in Armenian information technologies. According to him,
commodity turnover between the two countries is growing: in 2005,
it made 15 mln USD, while in the first seven months of this year –
14 mln USD. At the same time he said that they are following closely
the problems that arise in connnection of transporting goods from
Belarus to Armenia and in the opposite direction. In his opinion,
the current relations of Russia and Georgia have a negative impact
on the volume of commodity turnover between Belarus and Armenia. He
said that Belarus attaches great importance to activation of
negotiations on development of transport corridors between the two
countries. According to A. Margarian, the current Russian-Georgian
relations is an internal problem of these countries. In his opinion,
neither Armenia nor Belarus should interfere in the solution of
this problem. The Armenian government is prepared to help with the
problem’s solution, if Russia or Georgia express such a desire.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORUM OF INTELLIGENTSIA OF ARMENIA AND HOMELAND AND HONOR PARTY POINT TO NECESSITY TO USE NEW METHODS IN HOME POLITICAL STRUGGLE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 23, the Coordination
Council of the Forum of Intelligentsia of Armenia and the Homeland
and Honor Party spread a joint statement, according to which the
anti-criminal movement formed lately is the dictate of the time. They
reminded that the real movement started as early as before the 2003
presidential elections. The movement’s goal is to stop the intentions
of the current anti-national regime to reproduce itself through failing
the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The document mentioned that
the October 12 statement of a number of political and public figures
proceeds from the situation formed in the country. It is especially
mentioned that the first commander of self-defence detachments
of Nagorno Karabakh, Arkady Karapetian, is also among the persons
having signed under the statement. In the opinion of the leadership
of the Forum of Intelligentsia of Armenia and the Holemand and Honor
Party, the October 12 statement has new approaches connected with the
process of restoration of the constitutional order in the country
that can be only welcomed. NT: on October 13, a number of printed
Armenian media published a statement signed by a number of public and
political figures, including Arkady Karapetian, ex-Foreign Minister of
Armenia (1996-98) Alexander Arzumanian, human rights activist Vardan
Haroutiunian, etc.

According to the statement, "the methods and ways of coming out of the
growing cri sis" should be renewed for forming legal authorities. It
is proposed organizing a pan-national discussion for achieving an
acceptable result and for ensuring guarantees of country’s future
development.

ARAM A CATHOLICOS CONGRATULATES CYPRIAN ARMENIAN MARIO KAROYAN ON OCCASION OF BEING ELECTED AS PARTY LEADER

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Oct 23 2006

ANTELIAS, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Catholicos of
the Great Cilician House Aram A congratulated State Deputy of Cyprus,
Mario Karoyan, on the occasion of being elected as leader of the
Democratic Party of Cyprus.

Aram A Catholicos considered this as a great credit for the Armenian
people, in particular, for the Armenian community of Cyprus, and
wished Karoyan success in his mission. According to the Press Service
of the Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House, M.Karoyan had played
a great role in the above mentioned party for many years. He has been
elected as a State Deputy by the party list lately.

ARMENIAN-BELARUSIAN COOPERATION PROMISING IN HIGH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, JEWELRY MAKING AND AGRICULTURAL SECTORS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei
Sidorski, who is on an official visit to Armenia, was received on
October 23 by the Armenian President Robert Kocharian. R. Kocharian
expressed a satisfaction at the current dynamics of the relations
between the two countries, noting that the Belarusian prime
minister’s visit will contribute to the further development of the
cooperation. Speaking about his first impressions about Yerevan, Sergei
Sidorski said that the active construction work underway in the city
catches the eye, which bears evidence of Armenia’s economic progress.

Adressing the Armenian-Belarusian economic cooperation, the sides
noted that today the commodity turnover is not so large, although it
has a tendency to grow.

They indicated high and information technologies, jewelry making
and agriculture as promising sectors in terms of cooperation. The
interlocutors exchanged information about the economic policies of
Armenia and Belarus, and the current situation in various sectors of
the economy of each country.

INVESTMENT PROGRAMS OF OVER 19 BILLION DRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA IN LAST THREE YEARS

Noyan Tapna
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Investment programs of about 19 bln
drams (about 49.2 mln USD) were implemented or are being implemented
in Yerevan in 2003-2006, 50% of which – in the Kentron community of
the city. Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Karen Davtian stated this during
the October 23 press conference.

According to him, in 2006, documents on development of area of a
total of 578 thousand square meters were signed in order to implement
construction work in various spheres. He said that over 100 buildings
are currently being constructed in Yerevan by 40 companies. The deputy
mayor informed those present that construction in the urban development
zones, particularly in North Avenue, will be completed in 2007. The
first stage of constrcution of Main Avenue has been completed,
while the second stage will start after the adoption of the law on
alienation of property for social and state needs. K. Davtian said
that building up of the area adjacent to the circus has already begun,
and the company to implement construction work in the 30th district
has been chosen through a tender. According to him, along with
private investment programs, state programs are being implemented
in Yerevan. In particular, by one of these peograms, in 2005,
a building was delivered for operation in the Ajapniak community:
it accomodated the residents of a 4-degree accident prone apartment
building there. By this program, another two buildings will be put
into operation by late 2006, and two more buildings – in 2007.

DELEGATION LED BY LEVON MKRTCHIAN TAKES PART IN ASIAN EDUCATION FORUM

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

BEIJING, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Delegation led by Armenian Minister
of Education and Science, Levon Mkrtchian, also took part in the annual
Asian Education Forum held on October 19-22 in Beijing. As Noyan Tapan
was informed from RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
the Minister made a speech at the forum. During the visit the latter
had meetings with Chinese Minister of Education, Zhou Ji. Issues of
bilateral interest, concerning development of further cooperation
were discussed during the meeting. The Asian Education Forum was
founded in 2003 and is aimed at improving the educational system in
the Asian region. This was the forum’s third sitting, which was held
with participation of delegates from about 40 countries. This year’s
sitting was dedicated to study of problems in educational sphere in
the participant countries, to discussion of further tasks aimed at
development of education.