Month: April 2007

REGIONAL FESTIVAL OF SILENT FILMS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON OCCASION OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S BIRTHDAY
Author: Ruzanna Bagratunian Editor:

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. A festival of silent films will take
place on April 14-15 in the cinema hall of the National Gallery of
Armenia on the occasion of world cinematography legend Charles Spencer
Chaplin’s birthday on April 16. Silent films created in the countries
of the region will be shown at the festival. Show of films dedicated
to Chaplin will be organized at the "Moskva" (Moscow) cinema as well.

As Melik Karapetian, an employee of the education department of the
National Gallery of Armenia mentioned in the interview to the Noyan
Tapan correspondent, show of films dedicated to Chaplin’s birthday is
already for the 5th time organized in Yerevan. Those were held during
the first two years in the Yerevan Khnko Aper Children’s Library
and were entitled "Chaplin Marathon" but already in the last year a
regional festival of silent films was for the first time organized
at the National Gallery.

DELEGATES OF ARMENIA ARE ABSENT IN GROUP OF LEADERS AT EUROPE CHESS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Author: Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

DRESDEN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The 9th stage meetings of the Europe
Chess Individual Championship took place in Dresden on April 12.

Andrey Volokitin (Ukraine), having 7 points, is the individual leader
in the men’s tournament. 21 chess players have 6.5 points each. Among
the delegates of Armenia, Tigran Petrosian and Artashes Minasian have
6 points each.

Tatyana Kozintseva (Russia), having 8 points, is the leader in the
women’s tournament. 3 sportswomen have 7 points each. Elina Danielian
who shares the 5-11th places with other 6 participants having 6.5
points, is the best among the representatives of Armenia.

NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDING OF SHENGAVIT COMMUNITY’S COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE PUT INTO OPERATION
Author: Mashurian Sona Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The new building of the court of
first instance of Yerevan’s Shengavit community was delivered for
operation on April 12.

According to the RA Minister of Justice David Harutyunian, the
putting of this building into operation completed the first stage of
construction or reconstruction of the buildings of 14 courts under
the credit program on court and legal reforms.

The building’s main entrance, which is meant for court visitors,
also has a ramp for wheelchairs of disabled persons with
movement problems. The building is provided with all the necessary
communications: a new power substation, a autonomous boiler-house, gas
supply and water supply systems, as well as sewerage pipes. There is
an air circulation system in the court building. The air circulation
in halls is done by a channel method, which ensures re-circulation
and outflow of the air.

Air circulation of accused persons’ cells is done by the split
system. All offices have air conditioners on their windows.

The court building is designed for 7 judges and has 6 furnished
courtrooms, one of which – the courtroom for holding sittings on
civil cases has additional equipment to ensure safety of judges and
court case participants. The public section and the sitting section
of this courtroom are separated from each other by a staned-glass
window to ensure acoustic insulation. Direct audio reports about
sittings are transmitted by loudspeakers to the public section of
the courtroom. According to the justice minister, other courts may
make use of this courtroom in case of necessity.

The cost of the court building’s construction made 410, 854.2 thousand
drams. Financing was done with World Bank credit resources (90%)
and funds of the RA state budget (10%).

"PHOTOLUR" DIRECTOR HERBERT BAGHDASARIAN PASSES AWAY
Author: Tonoyan Susanna
Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Herbert Baghdasarian, the Director of
the "Photolur" (Photo news) agency suddenly passed away at the night
of April 12-13. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the
agency, H.

Baghdasarian was recently operated on. To also recap, his 75th birthday
anniversary was to be marked this year.

COOPERATION IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND PHARMACEUTICAL SECTORS TO BE MAIN SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION AT ARMENIAN-EGYPTIAN BUSINESS FORUM
Author: Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. A business forum with the participation
of 21 businessmen from the Armenian side will be held within the
framework of the visit to be paid by the Armenian president Robert
Kocharian to Egypt on April 14-15. Mushegh Sargsian, Deputy Director
for Enterprise Development and Export of the Armenian Development
Agency (ADA), stated this on April 13.

According to him, the RA Minister of Trade and Economic Development
Karen Chshmaritian is envisaged to present the macroeconomic
situation in Armenia during the business forum, while Director
General of ADA Vahagn Movsisian will speak about Armenia’s investment
environment. Besides, considerable printed material about the Armenian
economy has been sent to Egypt.

M. Sargsian reminded that the forum to be held is not the first step
aimed at economic cooperation with the Egyptian side: particularly,
an exhibition of Armenian production was held in Cairo three years
ago. However, in his words, due to the current regimes of agricultural
production export to Egypts, Armenian agricultural products cannot
be sold at compatitive prices on the Egyptian market.

M. Sargsian said that both Egypt and Armenia have developed IT and
pharmaceutical sectors, and issues of Armenian-Egyptian cooperation
in these sectors will mainly be discussed at the business forum.

APPRECIATION OF US DOLLAR IN ARMENIA IS CONDITIONED BY UPCOMING ARMENIAN ELECTIONS, INDEPENDENT ECONOMIST CLAIMS
Author: Tonoyan Susanna Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The appreciation of the US dollar
recently in Armenia is conditioned by the upcoming parliamentary
elections. Independent economist Eduard Aghajanov expressed this
opinion at the April 13 press conference. "Those candidates for
deputacy who intend to become deputies by giving electoral bribes,
have purchased dollars for 350 drams and now are selling dollars at
a high price so that the electoral campaign will be cheap or even
free of charge for them," he said. In response to the question about
how much the dollar’s exchange rate will grow, E. Aghajanov replied:
"It depends on appetite of candidates." According to his forecasts,
the highest exchange rate of the US dollar will be in late April and
early May, after which it will decline.

E. Aghajanov considered it strange that the increase of the dollar’s
exchange rate does not cause panic at the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA), which at the time explained the Armenian dram’s appreciation
by an increase in remittances and the number of tourists. "Now that
the dram is depreciating, it is clear that the opposite process must
take place. That is, tourists should disappear and our compatriots
go bankrupt. This is nonsense," E. Aghajanov said.

Besides, according to him, the CBA explained the dollar’s depreciation
by its depreciation in the world. However, in the last two months the
dollar has depreciated by 6-7% against other currencies, whereas the
opposite process is taking place in Armenia.

E. Aghajanov reminded that previously the CBA chairman claimed that the
dollar’s rate is a floating one in Armenia and the CBA has no relation
to its exchange rate, while later in an interview to a newspaper he
confessed that the dram’s rate is a regulated and floating one and
it is regulated by the CBA.

GALUST SAHAKIAN CONSIDERS EXCLUSION OF TENSION DURING ELECTIONS PRIMARY TASK OF ALL POLITICAL FORCES
Author: Karapetian Rita Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Exclusion of tension during the
elections is the most important task of all political forces. Galust
Sahakian, the Chairman of the RPA faction of the RA National Assembly
stated about it at the April 13 parliamentary briefing, taking into
consideration firing of RPA Council member, Gyumri Mayor Vardan
Ghukasian and his companions’ cars as well as explosions in the
"Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party offices.

In G. Sahakian’s opinion, all political forces must undertake
responsibility for the mentioned cases. In his words, legal bodies
must reveal the crime, and political forces must make the position
towards such a way of actions the task of their agenda.

In the RPA faction head’s opinion, one must reveal not only the ones
done it, but the reasons as well. Otherwise there is no guarantee
that more serious cases will not happen. It was also mentioned that
the important thing is disclosure of the crime, and it is a second
problem with what political force it is connected.

G. Sahakian agreed that the atmosphere of unpunishment created in
the country is one of the reasons of similar crimes, and the RPA,
as a ruling party, has the part of its guilt. But, those accusations
of the opposition that it is a intent by the authorities, do not
correspond to the reality.

TECHNICAL SECURING OF ELECTIONS IS ALSO IMPORTANT TOGETHER WITH GOOD LAW AND POLITICAL WILL, RA PRIME MINISTER SAYS
Author: Mashurian Sona Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The ceremony of giving new computers
to the RA Police Arabkir Department took place on April 13. Those were
given to the RA Government and Police Passport and Visa Department
(PVD) within the framework of U.S. Government Assistance, with the
help of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES)
office. In general, 45 computers will be given to PVD main and
territorial offices within the framework of the assistance, to
implement works of refreshment and management of the voters’ register.

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian who was present at the ceremony
attached importance to allocation of that assistance: "I consider
that technical securing of the elections together with a good law,
political will has an important place." He stated that a long series
of similar events is envisaged what will give possibility to improve
the technical basis of the elections.

S. Sargsian did not consider strange that he does not actively
participate yet in the pre-electoral campaign as the RPA Chairman. He
mentioned that "in the classical sense he will not have active
participation in the propaganda mission," during the coming one
month he will utmost get acquainted with problems of the republic
and citizens: "During this month I must change the Defence Minister’s
glasses with the Prime Minister’s glasses," he said.

Responding the question "What will be the strategy of the party headed
by him?" S. Sargsian said that the RPA has headed the government
for 7 years and must have one strategy: make report on what it has
done and present its viewpoints concerning solution of the existing
problems. Responding the question "Who do you see on the Defence
Minister’s post?" the RA Prime Minister answered: "You all will know
on April 24."

KHOSROV HAROUTIUNIAN: "GO, VOTE AND DO NOT LET ANYBODY USE YOUR VOTE"
Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. "2 of the 4 candidates for
deputy registered at No10 electoral district are Khachatur
Sukiasian’s employees and let Sukiasian explain why he competes
with his employees," Khosrov Haroutiunian, the Chairman of the
Christian-Democratic Union, also to be voted at the mentioned electoral
district, said at the April 12 meeting with journalists.

In his words, the Christian-Democratic Union does not participate
in the electoral struggle by the proportional electoral system not
for the reason that there is fear that voters mistrutfully relate to
their ideology, but simply realistically taking into consideration
"the fact of the elections’ bolting resources." The party prefered
to cetralize its modest possibilities to support candidature of its
head in the case of being voted of who the party ideology will also
be presented at the NA.

In Khosrov Haroutiunian’s words, the guarantee of success of the coming
elections is the voters’ active participation. And it is first of all
demanded from the candidates to inspire confidence and call on going
to vote. "I say to my voters: go, vote, and if you do not trust me,
vote against me, but go, do not let anybody use your vote, vote the
one who will pass your voice to the parliament."

RA PRIME MINISTER STILL ABSTAINS FROM COMING TO CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING EXPLOSIONS IN "BARGAVACH HAYASTAN" OFFICES
Author: Mashurian Sona Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian can
not come to the conclusion yet that April 12 explosions at territorial
offices of the "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party have
a goal to destabilize the situation in the pre-electoral period of
time. The Prime Minister stated about it at the April 13 briefing. "I
do not want to tie my opinion on the legal bodies, I will come to
the conclusions only after disclosure of crimes," S. Sargsian said.

Responding the question of one of the journalists how the Prime
Minister estimates the fact that the first week of the pre-electoral
campaign started with arsons, firings, explosions, S. Sargsian
mentioned: "I would not give such an estimate, and I gave I would
have some preservations. The firings are not surely provided by the
pre-electoral process as nobody has proved it yet."

In the RA Prime Minister’s opinion, the authorities of Armenia have
enough resources not to allow destabilization. "In any country,
among any society there are criminals, crimes are committed,
the important thing is disclosure of those crimes, punishment of
sinners." S. Sargsian said.