Month: May 2008

EU STATEMENT ON THE ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT INTO THE EVENTS OF 1 MARCH

Panorama.am
17:43 20/05/2008

Mr Chairman, on 4 March the European Union expressed its deep
concern over the violence in Yerevan during the events of 1 March,
which resulted in the loss of life and numerous injuries. We called
at that time for an independent investigation into the events of 1
March and what led to them.

We welcome the recent publication by the Armenian Human Rights
Ombudsman of his report into the pre and post-election developments,
and the invitation to international organisations to a roundtable
discussion of the report on 12 May. We encourage the Armenian
Authorities to facilitate wider discussion of the report in Yerevan,
and follow-up on the issues to be resolved as listed at the end of the
document. In this regard, the European Union supports the Ombudsman’s
recommendation for an independent inquiry into the events of 1 March.

The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia*, the countries of the Stabilisation and
Association Process and potential candidate countries Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, the European Free
Trade Association countries and members of the European Economic Area
Iceland and Norway, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
align themselves with this statement.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to
be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process

RA MINISTRY OF LABOR AND SOCIAL ISSUES TO IMPLEMENT 46 BUDGET PROGRAMS OF 41.6BN DRAMS IN 2008

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ministry of Labor and Social
Issues is working out a document under the title Strategy of Stable
Development of Labor Social Protection Sphere. As Aghvan Vardanian,
the RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues, said at the May 20 press
conference, that document in an all-embracing way will present the
state policy carried on in the sphere. He said that sphere working
groups have been created. The document will be submitted for public
discussions at the end of the year.

According to the Minister, it is no secret that Armenia has serious
demographic problems. Therefore, according to him, planned policy
need to be implemented. A state conception of demographic policy has
been worked out for that purpose. It will be adopted this year.

It was also mentioned that 41.6bn drams (nearly 135m USD) has been
allocated to the Ministry from the 2008 state budget for implementation
of 46 concrete programs.

A. Vardanian also considered introduction of the institution of social
partnership, state-trade union-employer, in Armenia as one of the
most important problems of the Ministry.

A. RUSTAMYAN: "RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN PART OF DIALOGUE, NOT NEGOTIATOR"

Panorama.am
18:24 20/05/2008

Today the representatives of mass media asked Armen Rustamyan a
member of the ARF CB whether he has accepted Raffi Hovhannisyan’s
invitation to hold a dialogue in Armenian Strategic Research Center
at 20:00. Mr. Hovhannisyan has invited the president of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Armen Rustamyan, Arthur Baghdasaryan
and Gagik Carukyan to gather and discuss the ongoing situation created
in Armenia.

In this regard A. Rustamyan said, "It is not quite clarified who
is Hovhannisyan in this scene a negotiator or a part. These are
quite different conditions. If he is acting as a negotiator then the
acting manner is not right as he should announce about the initiative
beforehand. I do not think that the members invited to the dialogue
are the free members in the country. Each member invited has an agenda
and plans for the day."

According to the ARF representative Mr. Hovhannisyan acts as a part
of opposition as he has protected Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In this regard
it was a right point to take part in the meeting discussion invited
by the president yesterday.

The ARF representative stated that the initiative taken by Hovhannisyan
to organize the meeting between the president nad Levon Ter-Petrosyan
is a good one.

He said that the working group is also aimed to form a platform for
the meeting of the authority and opposition members.

RESCUE BRIGADE TO BE SENT TO CHINA

Panorama.am
19:10 20/05/2008

Today the Minister of Emergency State Mher Shahgeldyan received
Mrs. Konsuelo Vidal the permanent coordinator of the UN. Nino
Antanadze, head of the UN disaster management group, Tatev Koloyan,
the assistant of UN coordinator, Edik Barseghyan, the director of
Armenian rescue service, and the deputy directors of the rescue
service Aram Tananyan and Nikolay Grigoryan.

According to the press service of the ministry, Mrs. Vidal
congratulated the minister for the appointment, presented the projects
implemented with the rescue team and discussed the perspectives of
the future cooperation.

Minister Shahgeldyan mentioned that the formation of the ministry
is the proof to the fact that the Government pays attention on the
current field. "We are not just aimed to form a strong power which
could be treated as the sequence of Spitak earthquake but to the first
in the regional countries. Armenia has been providing aid to Georgia,
Russia, Turkey, Iran, India and Thailand in different disasters. Today
we are ready to send rescue teams to China," said M. Shahgaldyan.

LAUNCHING OF "1918 HEROIC BATTLE OF GHARAKILISA" BOOK TAKES PLACE IN RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The launching of the "1918 Heroic
Battle of Gharakilisa" book took place in the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia on May 20. The authors of the book are candidates
of historical sciences, independent MP of the National Assembly Viktor
Dallakian and senior lecturer Armen Marukian. The book is a collection
of documents and materials. The printing of the book has been sponsored
by Karen Karapetian, the Head of the Republican Party of Armenia
faction of the National Assembly. As Viktor Dallakian mentioned,
the co-authors found it expedient to organize the launching of the
book on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the May heroic battles:
Sardarapat, Bash – Aparan, Gharakilisa.

"I am sure that will become a good tradition, irrespective of the
fact that we had MPs before, who published books, we organized no
such events, we should have started some day," Tigran Torosian, the
Speaker of the National Assembly, said. He also expressed an opinion,
according to which such facts speak about the great potential of
the parliament and are among the important and honourable sides of
the parliament. The NA Speaker expressed hope that like at present,
in future as well the parliament will have saved means "for printing
such good works with the assistance of the parliament."

EVENTS DEDICATED TO LAST BELL TO BE HELD ON MAY 24

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Events dedicated to the Last Bell will
be held in Yerevan comprehensive schools on May 24. As Onik Vatian,
the Head of the Education Department of Yerevan Mayor’s Office,
said at the May 19 press conference, by Mayor’s instruction all
comprehensive schools have been ordered not to permit holding of
expensive school-leaving parties and collection of big sums for
that purpose.

O. Vatian said that a concert dedicated to the Last Bell will be
held on May 24 in Liberty Square with the participation of variety
singers, dance groups. In his words, the RA Police, the prefectures,
the Ambulance service have been charged to implement maintenance of
public order properly on that day.

According to the head of the department, on the day of Last Bell some
parents entrust their children to drive a car, however, the child
does not have that right. According to him, the traffic police has
been charged to immediately take cars to the penalty area in such
cases. Besides, O. Vatian has charged school headmasters to discuss
the issue of depriving that pupil of the right to take final school
exams at the sitting of an individual, special pedagogical council.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHANGES IN HOLDING DEMONSTRATION LAW ADOPTED

Panorama.am
20:55 20/05/2008

Today the parliament has adopted the project of changes on the RA
law of "Holding meetings, demonstration, rallies and marches" by 92
votes for the changes.

The chairman of the NA Tigran Torosyan who is the author of the law
project said that the reforms have been presented to the Council of
Europe Venice Committee. In particular the procedures of providing
verified information have been clarified. The organizers of the
demonstration, marches, mass meetings and rallies should inform
the correspondent state bodies five days before the event. The
correspondent bodies have right to deny the request if the authorized
bodies find not secure points. The requestors can appeal to court
and the court should make a decision within 24 hours.

According to the legislation the representatives are allowed to hold
spontaneous mass meetings for only 6 hours. The chairman said that the
legislation feats international standards and is aimed to establish
democratic norms in the country.

EXAMS OF YEREVAN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 2-20

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The exams of Yerevan comprehensive
schools will be held on June 2-20. As Onik Vatian, the Head of the
Education Department of Yerevan Mayor’s Office, said at the May 19
press conference, the pupils of the 4th, 9th, and 11th forms will take
exams. According to him, the process of preparation of organization
of state final joint exams for the 11th form has finished. This year
besides the Armenian Language and Literature subjects, the leavers
will take united final exams in Mathematics and Foreign Language.

O. Vatian assured that proper and equal conditions for holding of exams
have been created for all leavers. He said that application-bids
filled by leavers had been collected earlier and presented to
the Knowledge and Testing Center of the RA Ministry of Education
and Science. According to O. Vatian, examination tests have been
already brought from England. They will be given to schools just on
the examination day. The united exams will be held in examination
centers. 19 such centers have been already created in Yerevan. Video
cameras will be installed in the centers.

It was also mentioned that the number of leavers of comprehensive
educational institutions within the jurisdiction of the Mayor’s Office
is 11 592 this year.

REPAIRS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN 99 YEREVAN SCHOOLS THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Work of modernization, major repairs,
construction of heating systems in Yerevan comprehensive school
buildings is also envisaged by 2020, within the framework of the
Yerevan Major Plan. As Onik Vatian, the Head of the Education
Department of Yerevan Mayor’s Office, said at the May 19 press
conference, repairs will be implemented in 99 schools this
year. According to him, more than 4.1bn drams (nearly 13.3m USD)
has been allocated from the state budget this year for the purpose of
implementing school repair programs. 53 schools will be fundamentally
repaired and 6 individual heating boiler-houses will be built with
this sum.

It was mentioned that 2bn drams for repairs, as well as for building
of individual boiler-houses of 41 schools is envisaged by the Program
of Town Capital Expenditures of the Mayor’s Office.

O. Vatian said that major repairs of over 10m USD are implemented
in five Yerevan schools at present under the Lincy program. The
repaired schools will be put into operation at the beginning of the
new schoolyear.

According to the head of the department, the programs of teachers’
retraining will continue to be implemented. Retraining courses of
teachers of Physical Training, Civil Defence, Singing and Music,
Painting, and Informatics subjects will start from June 2. The program
of providing schools with laboratory equipment and computers continues.

USA: TATEV ABRAHAMYAN – THIRD PLACE

Panorama.am
17:24 20/05/2008

Armenian chess player Tatev Abrahamyan who takes part in women chess
championship in USA occupies the third horizontal after the 7th round
of the competition. She has 5 scores on her account. Armenian GM
Katerina Rohonyan who presents USA in the competition has 4.5 scores
and occupies 4-8 horizontals. Irina Krush is the only leader of the
competition; she has 6 scores on her account.

In the men part of the competition Armenian GM Varuzjan Hakobyan
occupies 4-6 horizontals after the 7th round. Yuri Shulman is the
leader of the competition; he has 6 scores.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress