Month: April 2007

ARMENIAN SWIMMERS IMPROVE THEIR PERSONAL RESULTS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BUT DO NOT GET OLYMPIC RATING

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

MELBOURN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Water Sports World Championship
finished on April 1 in Melbourn. In 50 m free swimming style Mikayel
Koloyan showed 24.67 seconds result and took 78th place among 192
participants and Haroutiun Haroutiunian took 81st place with 24.71
seconds result. All three Armenian swimmers improved their personal
results, established two new republican records, but were unable to
get right to take part in Beijing-2008.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

12 STRONGEST ARMENIAN CHESS-PLAYERS TO TAKE PART IN EUROPE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP TO START ON APRIL 3 IN DRESDEN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Men and women Armenian chess national
teams left for Dresden on April 1 to take part in Europe Individual
Championship.

Nine men (Karen Asrian, Gabriel Sargsian, Rafael Vahanian, Ashot
Anastasian, Artashes Minasian, Tigran L. Petrosian, Arman Pashikian,
Tigran Kotanjian, Zaven Andriasian) and three ladies (Lilit Mkrtchian,
Eline Danielian, Siranush Andriasian) are included in Armenian national
teams. The championship will start on April 3 and the games of last,
11th tour will take place on April 16.

The championship is of elimination character. 33 men’s and 13 ladies’
leaders will take part in world championship to be held at the end
of the year in Khanty-Mansiysk by knockout contest rules.

BARGAVACH HAYASTAN’S PLACARDS ARE INDEED PARTY OFFICES’ SIGNBOARDS, HAYRAPET HAYRAPETIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Large placards with the inscription
"Bargavach Hayastan" and "Let’s Build a Prosperous Country
Together" are not advertisement boards, but signboards of party
offices. Hayrapet Hayrapetian, member of Bargavach Hayastan Party,
Chairman of Hayrapetian Brothers CJSC, stated at the April 2 press
conference. In particular, the explained the circumstance that
such a placard is fixed on the building of the department store
belonging to Hayrapetians saying that one of Bargavach Hayastan’s
territorial offices is there. H. Hayrapetian taking 41th place on
party’s proportional list who was also nominated by majoritarian
system at electoral district N 4, proposed his rivals signing a
memorandum on holding free and fair elections in that territory on
April 8, the day when the official agitation campaign starts. In his
words, he considers all nominated candidates as serious competitors
but not rivals. It is noteworthy that 10 candidates were nominated
at that electoral district involving Arabkir community, among which
are also RA MP, ARFD faction head Hrayr Karapetian and headmaster of
Arabkir sports school N 1, non-partisan Zohrab Zohrabian nominated by
RPA. H. Hayrapetian, as he mentioned himself, is not a businessman
but a lawyer. Though currently he does not work by his speciality,
he is going to maintain a candidate thesis on issues of people’s
"victimization" or becoming victims of criminal offences in Armenia.

Being the Chairman of Equestrian Sport Republican Federation,
H. Hayrapetian expressed the hope that one day the atmosphere of
kindness which is present in his "beloved kind of sport" will also
be in the home political field.

ALTERNATIVE EXPERIENCE OF DISPUTE SOLUTION SUMMARIZED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The April 2 press conference of the
Eurasia Foundation Yerevan Office was dedicated to discussion of
mechanisms of alternative solution of disputes in various spheres of
social life outside the court system. According to organizers of the
press conference, in case of the efficiently operating court system,
the use of such methods of the alternative solution of disputes
(ASD) as intermediation and arbitration contribute to development of
small and medium business. According to the agreement signed in 2004
between the Eurasia Foundation Armenia Office and the "Progressive
Social Technologies" NGO, the assessment of the current state and
development prospects of ASD in Armenia shows that 88% of small and
medium enterprises view legal procedure as the only way of solution
of economic disputes, and only 8% and 2% of those surveyed are aware
of arbitration and intermediation as methods of dispute solution. The
Association of Young Lawyers of Armenia, the Right Defender Union
and the Union of Builders of Armenia – organizations-winners of the
tender announced by the foundation in 2005 – provided their grants
for increasing the awareness of ASD within the framework of small
and medium business, organization of courses on arbitration at 6
higher educational institutions of Yerevan, creation of arbitration in
Yerevan, as well as for assistance to development of the regulations
on commercial disputes’s solution among construction companies and to
pilot programs on establishment of the respective center. According
to organizations-participants of the program, it is urgent to make
expert examination of the RA Law on Arbitration to clear the issue
of arbitration’s independence from the RA court system. As a result
of this, it will be necessary to amend the indicated law. In the
opinion of the program participants, it is also necessary to add a
new article to the RA Civil Procedure Code, in which the opportunity
to solve disputes in some cases through arbitration will be stipulated.

CBA CREDIT REGISTER’S REVENUES COVER EXPENSES ON ITS FOUNDATION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2003 – the first year of work of
the Credit Register of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), it received
a thousand bids for information provision, in 2004 the number of
bids reached 10 thousand, in 2005 – 20 thousand, and in 2006 – 38
thousand. At the present time the register receives 4,000 bids for
information provision a month. The CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsian
stated this on April 2 during an event dedicated to the 4-year
activities of the Credit Register and the start of the operation of
the ACRA credit bureau. According to him, revenues received against
information provision cover the expenses on creation of the Credit
Register. It was noted that thanks to the Credit Register’s work,
there are almost no bad debts in the Armenian banking system and the
share of non-repaid credits is small. T. Sargsian said that as a result
of ACRA’s work, expenses on management of credit risks of commercial
banks, as well as time of credit receiving for credit seekers will be
reduced considerably. In his words, the credit-seeker’s credit history
scoring system should be introduced both in the Credit Register and
ACRA, which is especially important under conditions of constant
growth in consumer crediting volumes. "Our commercial banks do not
implement crediting without making use of services of the Credit
Register," T. Sargsian underlined, expressing a hope that information
to be provided by ACRA will also be in demand. It is possible that it
will also include the history of the credit receiver’s payments for
municipal services. Director of ACRA credit bureau Artak Arzunian
said that the the bureau in cooperation with the CBA is developing
a draft law on credit bureaus, whose adoption will create legal
bases for ACRA to receive and develop information from insurance
companies as well. T. Sargsian added that such cooperation with several
insurance companies is currently done on the contractual basis. The
indicated draft law will be submitted to the respective departments
for discussion on September 2007. The CBA chairman noted that Armenia
is ahead of Georgia and Azerbaijan in terms of institutional reforms
in the sphere of credit risk management. To recap, ACRA’s shareholders
are the CBA, the Union of Banks of Armenia, Dun & Bradstreet company –
a US leader in the sphere of credit risk management, Credential company
(US), and a number of natural persons.

DEFENCE SIDE IN MATAGHIS CASE TO CONTINUE DISPUTING DECISION TO REJECT THEIR CHALLENGE OF MILITARY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of first instance of Yerevan’s
Kentron and Nork-Marash communities (Chairman – Judge Gor Hakobian)
on April 2 rejected the application of the defence side in the Mataghis
case. The defence disputed the decision of the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office to reject their challenge of the Military Prosecutor’s Office
conducting an investigation into the Mataghis case. According to
the court, the issue is not subject to dispute. The defence lawyer
Zaruhi Postanjian told NT correspondent that they intend to appeal
against the decision of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office in the
RA Court of Appeal, the RA Cassation Court, and the European Court
of Human Rights. To recap, the defendants in the Mataghis case –
Razmik Sargsian, Musa Serobian and Arayik Zalian are charged with
murder of two fellow servicemen.

The court of first instance of Syunik marz sentenced them to 15-year
imprisonment, while the court of criminal and military cases – to
life imprisonment.

The chamber of criminal and military cases of the Cassation Court
granted the aggrieved party’s petition to conduct an additional
investigation.

ACCORDING TO DEPUTY MINISTER OF CULTURE, CROSS TO BE MOUNTED SOON ON DOME OF SURB KHACH CHURCH

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. If the Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople Mesrob Mutafian had not delivered a speech at the
re-opening ceremony of Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church on Aghtamar
Island of Van, the head of the Armenian delegation which attended
the ceremony, RA deputy minister of culture and youth issues Gagik
Gyurjian would have made a speech. G. Gyurjian stated this at the
April 2 press conference. In his words, according to a preliminary
agreement and the Turkish side’s plan, the Armenian delegation
was not to make a speech, however, a speech was prepared jointly
the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs io order to use it in case of
necessity. The deputy minister said that in his speech the Armenian
Patriarch of Constantinople pointed out a number of issues of concern
to the Armenians, including the issue of mounting a cross on the
church’s dome, celebrating the holiday of Surb Khach (Holy Cross)
once a year, and declaring March 29 Day of Aghtamar (on this day,
a national festivity with songs and dances will be held). As regards
the fact that there were Turkish flags and a portrait of Ataturk on
the church during the ceremony, G. Gyurjian noted that according
to Turkish law, "the Turkish flag and a portrait of Ataturk shall
be displayed at all state and governmental events." In his words,
the flag and portrait were immediately removed after the ceremony.

He expressed an opinion that the cross of the church will be mounted
soon – the cross has already been made and is now at the Patriarchate
of Constantinople. Moreover, the deputy minister said that the group
implementing the repair work during the church’s restoration kept a
constant touch with them. The Turkish side consulted with Armenian
architects on the issue of making the cross. G. Gyurjian said that
the church was restored and repaired in line with international
architectural standards, although there are some insignificant defects.

FINAL OF 8th ARMENIAN STUDENT SPORT GAMES STARTS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Solemn opening ceremony of final of
8th Armenian student sport games took place on March 30 on Yerevan’s
Spartak stadium.

Nine kinds of sports (cross racing, table tennis, chess,
basketball, volleyball, futsal, handball) are included in the games’
program. Razmik Stepanian, Vice-Chairman of Student Sports Republican
Federation, Honored Figure of Physical Culture and Sport, informed
Noyan Tapan correspondent that though representatives of 13 state and
non-state higher educational institutions have passed to the final,
the competitions are open for students of all universities.

The competitions are held on Saturdays and Sundays. The 8th student
sport games will finish on May 6.

RA DEFENCE MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR BRUSSELS ON APRIL 3

Noyan Tapan
Apr 02 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 3, the delegation led
by Secretary of National Security Council under RA President,
Acting Defence Minister Serge Sargsian will leave for Brussels on a
working visit to take part in the sitting of North-Atlantic Council
by 26+1 format. The progress of implementation of RA-NATO Individual
Partnership Actions Plan will be presented and the report on estimating
the latter will be discussed during the sitting. As Noyan Tapan
was informed from RA Defence Ministry, within the framework of the
visit Serge Sargsian will meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer, Special Representative of NATO Secretary General to
South Caucasus Robert Simmons and European Commissioner for External
Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The
delegation will return to Yerevan on April 5.

WILL TURKISH MOSQUE BE OPENED IN YEREVAN?

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 02 2007

ISTANBUL, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
authorities promised to restore a Turkish monument in Yerevan or
Armenia and open it to visitors in response to re-opening Surb Khach
(Holy Cross) Church of Aghtamar.

"Miliet" reported it, referring to the Turkish minister of culture
Atilla Koc. In his words, during a meeting with the Armenian minister
of culture in Kiev on September 15, 2005, H. Poghosian said that
Yerevan follows attentively the repairs of Aghtamar church and intends
to open a Turkish mosque or monument in Yerevan or Armenia. According
to the Turkish newspaper, the Armenian deputy minister of culture
Gagik Gyurjian, who arrived in Turkey on the occasion of opening
Aghtamar church, re-asserted this intention.