Month: July 2007

MILITARY ATTACHE TO U.S. EMBASSY AWARDED WITH "GAREGIN NJDEH" MEDAL

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Mikayel Haroutiunian, the RA Minister
of Defence, received Anthony Godfrey, the Charge d’Affaires of the
U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Armenia, on the occasion of the tenure
expiration of Colonel and Military Attache Russell Grimley in Armenia.

According to the message received from the RA Ministry of Defence,
Anthony Godfrey introduced Robert Baxter, the newly-appointed military
attache and lieutenant-colonel, at the beggining of the meeting.

M. Haroutiunian expressed his thankfulness to Russel Grimley for
productive cooperation and awarded the latter a "Garegin Njdeh"
medal of the RA Armed Forces.

The two sides discussed issues concerning the current state of
bilateral relations in the military sphere and the prospects of making
them deeper during the meeting.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT LEAVES RESULTS OF NA ELECTIONS HELD IN MAJORITY SYSTEM IN ELECTORAL DISTRICT 36 IN FORCE

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Constitutional Court left the May
12 results of the NA elections held in a majority system in electoral
district 36 in force on June 29. The case was heard in court on the
basis of the application of Mushegh Saghatelian, an MP candidate.

According to the Constitutional Court, both the claimant and respondent
sides did not count the number of inaccuracies in the electoral
district in a proper way: according to the claimant’s side the number
is 9632, and the respondent side claims that it makes 134. However,
according to the calculations of the Constitutional Court, the number
of inaccuracies makes 364. Thus, the number of inaccuracies registered
in the electoral district has not, in reality, surpassed the difference
of the votes given for the first two candidates, which, according to
the Electoral Code, could be considered as a basis for invalidating
the elections.

At the same time the Constitutional Court recorded that the order
of providing extracts of the minutes concerning the results of
the elections has been violated by the electoral commission in
the above-mentioned electoral district: the applicants were given
minutes containing incomplete data, which could not reflect the
total picture of the elections. It is mentioned in the decision of
the Constitutional Court that there were mechanical and arithmetical
mistakes in the minutes and there is also the problem of a low level
of training among members of Local Electoral Commissions. The General
Electoral Commission in some cases did not check the validity of the
data received from electoral districts in a defined way despite being
obliged to.

ARMENIA IS IN PROCESS OF RECEIVING STATUS OF COUNTRY WITH STABLY DEVELOPING ECONOMY

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia is in the process of receiving
the status of a stably developing country by the International Monetary
Fund (IMF). Ms. Marta Castello-Branco, the Head of the IMF delegation
being in Armenia from June 26, said at the July 2 press conference.

Answering Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, she also said that
the rates of Armenia’s economic growth are high, for reorganizing
country’s economic status from "transitional" into "stably developing"
it is necessary that Armenian governmental bonds be circulated on
the stock markets of foreign countries.

INDIVIDUAL ENTREPRENEURS ENGAGED IN TRADE AT FAIRS TO PAY TAXES BY FIXED PAYMENTS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. At the July 2 special sitting, the RA
National Assembly unanimously, with 82 votes in favor, in the first
reading adopted the bill authored by the government, according to
which, amendments and addenda are to be made to the RA law "On Fixed
Payments." The RA NA Speaker, Tigran Torosian, said that this is the
first bill of the NA of fourth convocation, in favor for which the
parliamentary opposition also voted, which shows that cooperation
around some issues is possible.

The bill, in particular, envisages to establish the order of
calculation and payment of fixed payments for individual entrepreneurs
engaged in trade activity through stalls at fairs, which will replace
VAT and profit tax.

Individual entrepreneurs engaged in trade activity in Yerevan, in
territories not exceeding 7 sq.m. and in other places 10 sq. m. will
be considered as those paying fixed payments. The monthly amount of
the above mentioned payments in Yerevan, without zoning, will make
1815 drams per 1 sq.m, in regional centers, towns of Abovian and
Vagharshapat, 792 drams, in regions 660 drams, in the earthquake zone
and border populated areas 330 drams (nearly 1 USD).

CONCERTS OF HILLIARD BRITISH ENSEMBLE TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN AND VANADZOR

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Concerts of the Hilliard British ensemble
will take place on July 2-3 in Yerevan and in Vanadzor within the
framework of the Prospects of the 21st 8th international music festival
initiated by the Armenian Music Center.

Composer Stepan Rostomian, the Chairman of the festival, said that the
Hilliard ensemble is one of the apologists of Armenian sacred music in
the world. The ensemble’s repertoire includes medieval sacred works
and those dated to the Renaissance. Hilliard cooperates with the RA
People’s Artist, composer Tigran Mansurian and, as S. Rostomian said,
is one of the best performers of the Armenian composer’s works.

In the words of countertenor David James, their repertoire includes
sacred songs of different nations, but they attach much importance
to especially Armenian sacred music. "We perform those church psalms
(sharakans) in Armenian, which receives a warm welcome by Diasporan
Armenians. Armenians have wonderful church psalms, which should go
beyond Armenia’s boundaries and be spread all over the world. For us,
the homeland of sacred music is Armenia," D. James said.

By the way, S. Rostomian said that at the Summit of the European
Festival Association held on June 9 in Brussels, Yerevan received the
status of a city living cultural life, as well as became a member of
that association.

It was also mentioned that henceforth the festival will be held not
on the initiative of individuals and with the financial assistance of
different sponsors, but with the sponsorship of the RA Prime Minister.
From: Baghdasarian

TIGRAN ARMENIAKIAN, ARMENIAN YOUNG BOXER, RECEIVES BRONZE MEDAL IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

SIOPHOK, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Youth Boxing Championship
finished in the city of Siophok in Hungary on July 1. Tigran
Armeniakian (74kg, Yerevan), the representative of Armenia, took
third place and was awarded a bronze medal.

ADZHARIA: NUMBER OF TOURISTS FROM ARMENIA TO GROW TO 70,000 PEOPLE

arminfo
2007-07-02 13:03:00

Head of the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adzharia Temur
Diasamidze says that along with increase of the number of tourists
from Armenia and Azerbaijan, inflow of tourists from Ukraine is
expected. Their number in this season will grow by 100% to 5,000
people as compared with 2006.

Head of the government of the Adzharian autonomous republic Levan
Varshalomidze expects a record number of tourists by 2009-2010 – 1
million people, the Georgia-online reports referring to GHN. In the
current holiday season, Adzharia is getting ready to receive 350,000
tourists. 45,000 citizens of Armenia were resting in Adzharia in
2006. Their number in 2007 will grow to 70,000 people. Eight thousand
residents of Azerbaijan visited Adzharia in 2006, their number this
season will make up 10-12 thsd people. Inflow of tourists from Baltic
countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) is also expected, that will be
stipulated by opening of direct flights of "Air Baltic" and "Estonia
Air" Air Companies to the Batumi airport.

BABKEN KARAPETIAN TAKES THIRD PLACE IN EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP OF GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING

Noyan Tapan
Jun 2, 2007

BELGRAD, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Youth Championship of
Greco-Roman Wrestling finished in Belgrad on July 1. Among six
Armenian representatives Babken Karapetian (50kg, BKMA) was awarded
a bronze medal.

THREE RIFLEMEN FROM ARMENIA TO PREPARE FOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN LVOV

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian riflemen Norair Bakhtamian,
Romik Vardumian, and Andranik Pilosian will leave for the Ukraine for
a ten-day teaching and training gathering where they will prepare for
the European Championship to be held in Spain on July 8-18 together
with Ukrainian sportsmen in Lvov.

ARARAT DOES NOT MANAGE TO REACH SECOND STAGE OF INTERTOTO CUP TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The second leg of the first stage of
the Intertoto Cup Tournament between Yerevan Ararat and Soligorsk
Shakhtior took place in the Republican sports ground of Yerevan on
July 1. Though the footballers of Ararat won with a record of 2:0,
the Shakhtior team passed to the following stage with the result of
the two meetings. It had defeated Ararat with an account of 4:1 at
the first game.