Month: November 2006

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL DROPS TO 7.4 PERCENT
Armenpress
Nov 20 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: At the beginning of November
Armenia’s economically active population numbered 1.216.600
people. According to employment and social affairs ministry, 92.6
percent of them were engaged in different branches of economy.
The ministry said the unemployment level as of November 1 dropped
to 7.4 percent from 7.7 percent at the beginning of the year. The
highest unemployment level of 17.2 percent was registered in the
northeastern province of Lori, followed by the province of Shirak
with 16.1 percent, Syunik with 15.7 percent. The lowest rate of 1.9
percent was in Aragatsotn province.
According to the National Employment Center, an affiliation of the
ministry, as of November 1 there were 107,000 unemployed people. The
share of unemployed women continues to remain high; they make 71.6
percent. The majority of unemployed-93.4 percent- is urban population.
The unemployment benefit at the beginning of November was about
9,000 Drams.

EU DEMANDS FROM TURKEY TO OPEN ITS PORTS STARTING DECEMBER 1
By Petros Keshishian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/11/2006
Finland, which currently holds EU presidency, has put a deadline
before Turkey to open its ports to Cypriot ships starting on December
1 otherwise the EU will suspend accession talks with the country.
Matti Vanhanen, Finland’s prime minister, underscored that the “Turkish
issue” won’t be on the EU summit slated on December 14-15 and that
“decision should be taken before that date.”
In PM’s words, Finland will expect Turkey’s reply “in the first
week of December”. Unless ports and airports open to Cyprus, the EU
will reconsider “the consequences of the step for Turkey” by closing
accession talks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN RENDERS $120 MILLION OF AID TO PALESTINE
By Petros Keshishian
AZG Armenian Daily
21/11/2006
The government of Palestine received $120 million of aid from
Iran. Mahmoud al Zahari, foreign minister of Palestine, told Haaretz
Israeli newspaper on November 16.
According to him, Iran promised to continue rendering financial aid
to Palestine. In April 2006, Tehran promised $50 million of financial
aid to Palestine to compensate the losses that this country suffered
as a result of the cease of assistance from the West.
USA and EU ceased rendering assistance to Palestine in the beginning
of this year after the victory of Hamas in the parliamentary elections,
as Hamas doesn’t recognize the right of Israel’s existence.

LEVON ARONIAN WINS TAL MEMORIAL AND COMES 2ND IN BLITZ TOURNAMENT
AZG Armenian Daily
21/11/2006
The Mikhail Tal Memorial chess festival that was being held in Moscow
from November 5th to 19th had 3 winners: Peter Leko of Hungary,
Ruslan Ponomaryov of Ukraine and Levon Aronian of Armenia. It was
a round-robin super-tournament of Category 20 (the highest by FIDE
standards), with participants from seven countries. All three were
declared joint winners and each received 33% of the fame.
At the end of the main event there was a very strong blitz tournament,
with nine players from the main tournament, three special invitees and
six top finishers from a blitz qualifier. The blitz tournament was won
by Vishvanathan Anand of India two points ahead of his nearest rival,
Levon Aronian.

ARMENIA SHOULD HAVE OWN IDEOLOGY ON ITS PLACE IN REGION
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 17:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia should not jeopardize allied relations with
Russia when searching for new possibilities of cooperation with world
powers and structures, Ara Abrahamyan, the President of the Union of
Armenians of Russia and the World Armenian Congress told reporters
on Monday. He remarked that Armenia is Russia’s strategic partner
and this is fixed in numerous bilateral agreements.
“Being a small independent state Armenia should have its own
programs and ideology on its place in the region and its partners,”
he considers. In his words, it would be incorrect to build external
relations at expense of relations with Russia. “Armenia should
elaborate cooperation programs both with Russia and other states and
international structures,” he resumed, reports newsarmenia.ru.

RUSSIAN ARMENIANS UNDECIDED WHO TO SUPPORT AT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
15:28 20/11/06
In January, 2007 the Union of Armenians in Russia (UAR) will issue
a decision on participation of Armenians residing in Russia in the
upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia, Ara Abrahamyan, chairman
of the union, told a press conference today.
In his words, a board meeting will be held after Christmas parties
during which UAR will decide which party “is closer to them.” We are
following the political situation in Armenia and advise the party
not to be guided by ambitions and not to give empty promises to the
population, Abrahamyan said.

FESTIVAL “POMEGRANATE SEED” KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN
Panorama.am
18:08 20/11/06
The sixth republican children’s theater festival “Pomegranate seed”
kicked off in Yerevan today. In the words of the chairwoman of the
organizational committee, Hasmik Karapetyan, the contest was held in
two stages this year. The festival opened with a play “Children of
Yengibarov” of Pushkin school of Yerevan.
The festival has been conducted since the year 2000.
Since 2004, the state has been releasing funds from the state budget
for Pomegranate Seed. The festival is also part of a government
program on children until 2012.

REGIONAL WRITERS PUBLISH BOOKS
Panorama.am
18:27 20/11/06
Presentation of three books were held at the Chamber Music House within
a program launched by ex-minister of culture and youth affairs, Hovik
Hoveyan, member of Orinats Yerkir party. 500 copies of each book were
published on state released funds and another 200 copes were a gift by
“Nshanak” publishing house.
Minister of culture and youth affairs, Hasmik Poghosyan, said the
state spent 3 million drams on the initiative. The program fosters
culture in the regions.

DOWNTOWN YEREVAN EXPOSES TO ECOLOGICAL DISASTER, ASSOCIATION HEAD SAYS
Panorama.am
18:29 20/11/06
“We can say that especially downtown Yerevan is close to ecological
disaster,” Karine Danielyan, president of “For Stable Human
Development” Association, told a parliament hearing today. She said
if 10 deputy mayors work to make Paris a stable city like Oslo,
we are going the other way. Studies show that desertification risks
are high in the capital. Yerevan is turning into a half-desert with
its unique fauna – scorpions and snakes. Official records say that
Yerevan has lost 12% of its green areas.

BLOCK OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATS TO ORGANIZE TRAINING COURSES
Panorama.am
19:19 20/11/06
Block of National Democrats (BND) party intends to organize educational
courses for persons empowered to act for deputies, Stepan Stepanyan,
BND administration board member, told a press conference.
In his words, the courses will be conducted in Artashat in December
in the office of Orinats Yerkir.
Stepanyan said at the moment election committee members undergo
trainings and many have failed the tests. He said funds are needed
to organize the trainings. Party members are sure these trainings
are the first step towards free and fair parliamentary elections in
Armenia.