Month: April 2007

COMPANY OF AL. SPENDIARIAN OPERA AND BALLET NATIONAL ACADEMIC THEATER TO LEAVE FOR EGYPT ON APRIL 12

Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The company of the Al. Spendiarian
Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater will leave for Egypt on
tours on April 12.

As Kamo Hovhannisian, the theater Director informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, the company will perform Aram Khachaturian’s Gayane
ballet in Cairo on April 15, in Alexandria on April 18. K. Hovhannisian
stated that 145 members of the orchestra and ballet group will leave
for Egypt.

In the theater Director’s words, those tours are dedicated to the
15th anniversary of the Armenian-Egypt diplomatic relations.

NATIONAL STRATEGIC PROGRAM OF EMPLOYMENT SPHERE WORKED OUT IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. One-day seminar on the theme "Social
Partnership in Armenia" dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the
"State Employment Service" was held in Yerevan on April 4. As Sona
Haroutiunian, the agency Chief mentioned, the law "On Social Defence in
the Case of Employment and Unemployment of Population" functioning from
January, 2006, had an essential role in the affair of implementation of
reforms in the employment sphere. He stated that a national strategic
program of the sphere of employment was at present worked out. It
will be presented to the RA Government’s adoption in 2008.

Anahit Parsadanian, the Chief of the Labour Market Analysis and
Foresight Department of the agency mentioned that as of March 1,
the level of unemployement in the republic made 7.2% what reduced 5%
as if compared with the same day of the previous year. In her words,
102.6 thousand people searching a job were registered at the agency in
the same month, and 1400 vacancies, mainly for workers’ professions,
were presented by employees during the month. 650 unemployed people
found work in January-February. Women made 56% of them.

"HAYASTAN" ALL-ARMENIAN FUND TO PRESENT REPORT ON 2006 ACTIVITY ON MAY 7

Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The 16th sitting of the Board of
Trustees of the "Hayastan" (Armenia) All-Armenian Fund will take place
on May 7. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the Public
Relations Department of the fund, a detailed report on the programs
implemented in 2006 will be presented at the sitting.

ATHONY CANTOR: UK POLICY ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL HARDLY CHANGE

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 16:03

"The policy of Great Britain on the issue of recognition of the
Armenian Genocide is well-known, and I don’t think it will change under
the pressure of about 100 British parliamentarians," the Ambassador
of Great Britain to Armenia Anthony Cantor told ArmInfo correspondent.

In his opinion, the initiative of recognizing the Armenian Genocide 114
MPs undertook is connected with the upcoming day of commemoration of
the genocide victims. He added that the Armenian Genocide recognition
initiative s greatly furthered by the Armenian Diaspora, which
periodically raises the question.

"There are different ways of maneuvering," noted the diplomat,
speaking about the reasons of the dispute launched in the British
Parliament. "The Parliaments of Wales and Edinburgh discussed the
topic of mass killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, but it
did not become a topic of discussion in the central government of
Britain," the Ambassador mentioned. He is not sure that the majority
of 665 British MPs will support the document on recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. Nevertheless, the British diplomat noted that on
April 24 he will visit Tsitsernakaberd to lay a wreath of flowers at
the memorial to the genocide victims.

$1 BILLION NEEDED FOR CONSTRUCTING IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 16:16

Investments of about $1 billion will be necessary for the construction
of the Iran-Armenia railway. RA Minister of Transport and Communication
Andranik Manukyan told the journalists they are looking for investors
to implement the program. According to the Minister, in the result
of the project Armenia will have direct communication with Iran and
countries of the Middle East, becoming a transit country. Besides, the
new railway will become an alternative to Kars-Akhalkalaki railroad.

ABDULLAH GUL PRESENTS HIS CONCERNS TO FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 16:27

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is paying an official
visit to Germany, expressed his concerns to his German counterpart
Frank-Walter Steinmeier about the German initiative to be presented
to the European Parliament, according to which negation of genocides,
including the Armenian Genocide, is considered a crime and is punished
by law.

Turkish "Sabah" daily informs that Gul noted that the bill in its
current shape troubles Ankara.

SERGEY LAVROV: ARMENIAN COGNAC IS BETTER THAN FRENCH ONE

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 16:45

"Armenian cognac is better than the French one," said Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, visiting the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC).

Accompanied by YBC Executive Director Erve Karoff, Sergey Lavrov and
members of the Russian delegation learned about the production of
Armenian cognac and its peculiarities.

The Russian Foreign Minister made a record in the book honorable
guests, left his signature on the peace barrel, which must be opened
on the occasion of the final settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The guests tested 25-year-old exclusive "Erebuni" cognac, 40-year-old
" Sparapet" cognac was presented to Russian Foreign Minister Segey
Lavrov.

GUNMEN KILL THREE IN ATTACK ON ARMENIAN MAYOR

Agence France Presse — English
April 3, 2007 Tuesday 10:13 AM GMT

Gunmen killed three people in an attack on the mayor of Armenia’s
second-largest city who was wounded and in serious condition in
hospital on Tuesday, prosecutors said.

Gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on a two car-convoy taking
Mayor Vardan Gukasian from Yerevan back to Gyumri, a city of 151,000
located kilometres (75 miles) northwest of the capital, late Monday.

Three people in the convoy died at the scene, a spokesman for the
prosecutor general said. Gukasian, his deputy Gagik Manukian and his
driver were wounded and taken to hospital. Three others escaped injury.

Gukasian, a member of Armenia’s ruling Republican party, was returning
to Gyumri following a party vote Monday night to name Defence Minister
Serge Sarkisian as Armenia’s new prime minister.

Sarkisian, 52, will succeed Andranik Margarian, who died of a heart
attack on March 25 after seven years as prime minister.

Politics often turn violent in Armenia, an ex-Soviet country in
the volatile Caucasus region south of Russia. In 1999, five gunmen
stormed into the parliament and killed the prime minister and seven
other top officials.

REPORT OF US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON STATE OF AFFAIRS WITH HUMAN RIGHTS IN WORLD IS OFTEN USED TO PRESENT POLITICIZED ASSESSMENTS

Arminfo
2007-04-04 15:35:00 RF FM:

The annual report of the US Department of State on the state of
affairs with human rights in the world is not always based on the
necessity of estimating the state of affairs with the human rights,
RF FM Sergey Lavrov said at today ‘s meeting with the students and the
professor-teacher staff of the Yerevan State University, in response
to the question about the recent report of the US Department of State,
in which Nagorno Karabakh is mentioned as the " occupied territory".

As the Minister noted, this report is often used to present the
politicized assessments which, somehow or other, reflect the political
expediency for the USA at this or another moment. "It is difficult for
me to judge which motives are one or another assessments stipulated
for. I only know that no report is issued in the USA on human rights in
the States themselves. I think there are mechanisms for the necessary
dialogue on assurance of rights and freedoms of citizens. This dialogue
should be carried on without dual standards, and no country should
try to isolate itself from any critics. It is incorrect, everything
is to be built on an equal basis", S. Lavrov said.

RUSSIAN FM HOPES THAT THE FORECASTS OF EARLY MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAN WILL NOT COME TRUE

Arminfo
2007-04-04 14:53:00

I very much hope that good sense will prevail and these forecasts will
not come true, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a
meeting with the students and professors of Yerevan State University,
when asked about the possibility of a military attack on Iran on Apr 6.

The problem of Iran, just like any other problem in the modern world,
must not be solved by force. Military actions will make things even
worse, Lavrov said. He pointed out that the talks on the Iranian
problem must be resumed. He reminded of the joint statement of six
countries (5 UN SC member and Germany), who have confirmed their
commitment to negotiate with Iran and to respect its right to have
access to peaceful nuclear energy. Lavrov hopes that in the near
future this commitment will be put into practice.