Month: July 2007

Russia set to test first serial S-400 SAM system next week

14:46 | 05/ 07/ 2007

MOSCOW, July 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will conduct the first tests of
its new S-400 Triumf air defense complex next week prior to its
commissioning with the Air Force, an AF air defense chief said
Thursday.

"The first serial [S-400] complex will be tested next week," Lieutenant
General Alexander Gorkov said. "It has been transported to a testing
ground together with crews."

The S-400 (NATO codename SA-21 Growler) is a new air defense missile
system developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of
the S-300 family.

It has been designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a
distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), or twice the range of the
U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2.

"The first S-400 system, which will be put on combat duty near Moscow
shortly after the test, will feature missiles with enhanced technical
characteristics to sharply increase the combat capabilities of air
defense around the Russian capital," Gorkov said.

The general said Russia planned to deploy new air defense systems
primarily around all strategically important administrative and
political centers in two stages by 2015.

During the second stage, which starts in 2010, Russia will add
modernized versions of the S-400 with enhanced characteristics in
comparison to the current model, he said.

In April, Colonel General Yury Solovyov, commander of the Air Defense
Forces Special Command (former Moscow Military District Air Defense
Command), said the Triumf could be used for limited purposes in missile
and space defense, but that it is not designed to destroy
intercontinental ballistic missiles.

However, he said the system is highly capable of destroying stealth
aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles with an effective
range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and a speed of up to 4.8
kilometers (3 miles) per second.

The Russian Air Defense Forces, which are part of the Air Force,
currently deploy more than 30 regiments equipped with S-300 (NATO
reporting name SA-10 Grumble) missile complexes, which will be
gradually replaced with S-400 systems.

RA GOVERNMENT SHOULD START REDUCING GAS SUBSIDIES AS SOONAS POSSIBLE,
IMF OFFICIAL SAYS

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Marta Castello-Branco, the head of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, which is in Armenia from
July 26, at the July 2 press conference, said that the RA government
should start reducing gas subsidies as soon as possible to soften the
consequences of growth in gas prices for vulnerable strata.

It should be mentioned that in 2006, the RA government, handing over
Hrazdan TPP’s 5th energy unit to Russia, received the possibility to
keep the price for 1 cubic meter of gas imported from Russia at the
level of 55 dollars for final consumers through subsidizing.

In her words, the operation term of the current gas subsidy will expire
in late 2008. From the begninning of 2009 prices for gas could grow
abruptly and make more than 200 USD, and in order to soften the
consequences of the latter, gas subsidies should be gradually reduced.
M. Castello-Branco said that the steady appreciation of the dram should
help smooth this process by making gas import cheaper in dram terms.

IMF POSITIVELY EVALUATES RA GOVERNMENT’S 2007-12 PROGRAM

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Marta Castello-Branco, the head of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation in Armenia from June 26,
at the July 2 press conference, said that the IMF positively evaluates
the circumstance that the RA government’s 2007-12 program pays much
attention to ensuring of high economic growth, poverty reduction, and
fighting corruption, while maintaining sound macroeconomic policy.

In her words, it is also important that the above mentioned program
attaches importance to the perfection of tax administration, avoiding
new tax exemptions, improving the quality and depth of financial
intermediation, as well as improving the business climate to downsize
the shadow economy, raise productivity, and maintain competitiveness.

M. Castello-Branco expressed satisfaction with the circumstance that in
the past period of the current year the GDP growth was stronger than
expected, tax collection was overperformed, and inflation was in line
with the CBA’s target.

It was mentioned that one of the current challenges of Armenia is to
keep inflation low under the conditions of fiscal pressures. As the IMF
official evaluated, among the above mentioned pressures are the grain
price hike, persistent large foreign exchange inflows, and higher
government spending envisaged in the second half-year of 2007 as
compared with the first one.

The IMF representative considered as positive the 15.2% index of
taxes/GDP envisaged by the 2007 RA state budget, with that index making
14.4% in 2006. Nevertheless, in M. Castello-Branco’s words, there is
much potential for increasing tax collection in Armenia: according to
her data, shadow economy in the country makes up 30%.

SEVEN BOARDING INSTITUTIONS OF CHILDREN’S CARE AND PROTECTION TO
OPERATE FROM SEPTEMBER IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The status of the special schools of
Kapan Number 1, Gyumri Number 2, Vanadzor Number 2, Dilijan, and
Byureghavan for children, who are orphans and deprived of parental
care, as well as School 10 named after Petros Durian in Yerevan and
School 1 for children, who are mentally handicapped, will be changed in
the new educational year.

According to the information provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by
Lena Hayrapetian, the Head of the Department for Family, Women’s, and
Children’s Problems of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Issues,
these schools will operate as boarding institutions of children’s care
and protection since September.

According to Lena Hayrapetian, the decision concerning the change of
the status of the above-mentioned schools is connected with the fact
that very often children from socially unprovided families, who have no
need of special education, attend these schools.

L. Hayrapetian mentioned that children, in particular, will get free
food, prepare their lessons, and attend the nearest schools of general
education. As for the defined holidays, they should, certainly, spend
them all with their families.

GOVERNMENT AGREES TO REDUCE STATE DUTY DEFINED FOR BROADCAST OF
PROGRAMS OF OTHER LAUNCHING COMPANIES BY PUBLIC RADIO AND TELEVISION
COMPANY BY 10 THOUSAND DRAMS

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The package of bills of the government,
which envisages to make amendments and addenda in the RA valid Laws on
"Television and Radio," and "State Duty," was discussed by the second
reading of the RA National Assembly in the July 2 special sitting. The
ballot, to all appearances, will be held on July 3.

On the above-mentioned legislative initiative the activities of other
launching organizations are prohibited on the frequencies used by the
Public Radio and Television company. In addition to this, a state duty
of 60 thousand drams (about 176 U.S. dollars) is defined for each
broadcast of radio and television programs of other launching
organizations on the frequencies used by the patent radio and
television company in the Republic of Armenia, in difference to the 70
thousand drams defined by the first reading. In comparison with the
package of the bills adopted by the first reading, it is additionally
set in the law on "Radio and Television" that the launching
organization is entitled to broadcast television and radio programs.

It should also be mentioned that the positions of opponents and those
who were for the adoption of the bills remained the same. The political
coalition gave assurance that the suggested amendments are directed at
the regulation of the public radio and television sphere and cannot
concern the Armenian service of the Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station,
which is broadcasting its programs on the frequencies of the Public
Radio company, as the latter is not a patent launching organization.
The opponents, that is to say Zharangutiun (Heritage) and Orinats
Yerkir (Country of Law) factions, are convinced that the legislative
initiative of the government is, evidently, threatening the further
activities of the Azatutiun radio station in Armenia.

CHAIRMAN OF AZATUTIUN RADIO STATION EXPRESSES HOPE THAT RA NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY WILL NOT ADOPT BILLS GIVING RISE TO CHALLENGES

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Jeffrey Gedmin, the Chairman of the
Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station, criticized the bills being discussed
in the RA National Assembly, the application of which can stop the
broadcast of the Armenian service programs of the Azatution (Liberty)
radio station by Public radio. At the same time, he expressed hope that
these bills will not be finally adopted and will not become a law. This
information was provided by the Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station.

"The target of these bills, which formally prohibit the broadcast of
any foreign programs in the Armenian language on the frequencies of the
Public Radio, are, evidently, the programs of the Armenian service of
the Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station. This will serve as a dangerous
precedent for the public mass media of all the countries of the former
Soviet Union, countries, where people have been listening to the
programs of the Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station for tens of years in
order to receive such news, which is inaccessable by the local mass
media, which is controlled by the state. I hope that the Armenian MPs
will reconsider their attitude towards these incomplete bills," Jeffrey
Gedmin said in his statement.

PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE DAY MARKED IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Prosecutor General, Aghvan
Hovsepian, during the official sitting dedicated to the 89th
anniversary of the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office, said that thanks to
close cooperation between the law enforcement bodies and the
Prosecutor’s Office, crime spreading in Armenia is considerably
inferior to the indices of many Council of Europe member-countries.

In his words, the new law "On the Prosecutor’s Office," which came into
force two months ago, is a law of a prosecutor’s office developing by
the democratic way, which "by its internal logic is aimed at the
protection of citizen’s rights and freedoms, as well as state
interests." A. Hovsepian said that proceeding from the new law’s
requirements, thay have established the structures of the Prosecutor
General’s Office and Military Prosecutor’s Office, have formed
prosecutors’ qualification and ethics commissions, and have made other
changes envisaged by the law. As he evaluated, taking the
investigator’s structure out of the system of the prosecutor’s office
will lead to department changes: that process will finish by December 1.

A. Hovsepian said that the RA Prosecutor’s Office is expanding its
foreign contacts: the Prosecutor’s Office cooperates with the
Prosecutors’ International Association, takes part in annual
conferences of Council of Europe member-states’ Prosecutor Generals, as
well in the proceedings of the Coordination Council of CIS Prosecutor
Generals. The latter’s regular sitting, as the RA Prosecutor General
said, is planned to be held in autumn this year in Yerevan.

23.4% OF YEREVAN POPULATION REGISTERED AT HEALTHCARE PRIMARY LINK FROM
APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. In the first six months of 2007, the
number of people’s visits to Yerevan polyclinics made 1m 137 thousand,
which has increased by 1.3% as compared with the same period of 2006.
Armen Soghoyan, the Head of the Healthcare and Social Security
Department of Yerevan Mayor’s office, said at the July 2 press
conference that 77,305 calls were registered at the Ambulance CJSC in
January-June. 6,434 children were born at Yerevan’s ten maternity
houses in the same period, which exceeds the same index of the previous
year by 0.2%.

A. Soghoyan said that 23.4% of Yerevan’s population has expressed a
willingness to apply to district therapeutists and pediatricians in the
healthcare primary link from April 1 to June 30. Until October 1 people
can be registered and choose their doctor and the institution where
they wish to receive medical aid. It was mentioned that a maximum of
2300 and a minimum of 1000 citizens can be registered with one doctor.

TWO TURKS DETAINED FOR DENYING FACT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN SWITZERLAND

WINTERTHUR, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Ali Merjan, the
European representative of the Turkish Workers’ Party, and Ethem
Kayalar, the Chairman of the union of views of Berni Ataturk, were
detained for denying the fact of the Armenian Genocide in Switzerland.
This information was provided by the Turkish press.

A group of Turks gathered in the "Zentrum Toss" hotel of the city of
Winterthur in Switzerland and expressed their dissatisfaction with the
decision of a Swiss court, which condemned Doghu Perinchek, the
Chairman of the Workers’ party, for denying the fact of the Armenian
Genocide, as well as with the fact that Perichek was not given a visa
by the Swiss authorities a few days before.

Ali Merjan, the European representative of the Turkish Workers’ Party,
and Ethem Kayalar, the Chairman of the union of views of Berni Ataturk,
made speeches during the meeting organized in the hotel and declared
that "the Armenian Genocide is an imperialistic lie," "We support
Perinchek, we agree with what he was going to say. The Armenian
Genocide is an imperialistic lie. We have no problem with Armenians and
have never had." Ali Merjan and Ethem Kayalar were detained on account
of these statements and were set free after giving evidence.

The other participants of the meeting with posters denying the fact of
the Armenian Genocide tried to leave the hotel. However, the
collaborators of the police standing at the exit did not let them leave
the hotel.

On the occasion of this incident Nusret Senem, the Secretary General of
the Turkish Workers Party, declared that they have informed the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this incident and claimed that the
latter takes necessary steps.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HRANT DINK OPENS IN PARIS

PARIS, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The opening ceremony of
the Armenian-French school named after Hrant Dink took place in the
Arnouville la Gonesse region in Paris on June 30. This information was
provided by the Turkish press.

Edward Nalbandian, the RA Ambassador to Paris, Alexis Govjian, the
Chairman of the coordinating council of the Armenian unions in France,
Armenian clergymen, as well as Michel Oman, the Chairperson of the
regional council of Arnouville la Gonesse, were present at the opening
ceremony of the school named after the former editor-in-chief of the
Weekly Akos.

No representative of Turkey was present at the opening ceremony of the
Armenian-French school, Rakel Dink, the widow of Hrant Dink, was not
there either.