Month: August 2008

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONFIDENT IN EFFICIENCY OF CONSOLIDATION OF TAX AND CUSTOMS AGENCIES

ARKA
YEREVAN, August 22.

Armenian President introduced the Chairman of the newly created Public
Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan to the management staff of the
tax and customs authorities. Under presidential decree of August 20,
the country’s State Taxation Service and the State Customs Committee
were reorganized into one – Public Revenue Committee.

The presidential press service reported that the President Serzh
Sargsyan expressed confidence in efficiency of the consolidation of
two services if certain changes are made.

"I am confident we will be able to bring the work of the new
committee in line with the current requirements of our economy," the
President said. He stressed the necessity to imArmenian President
introduced the Chairman of the newly created Public Revenue
Committee Gagik Khachatryan to the management staff of the tax and
customs authorities. mediately start the work and perform substantial
changes in the situation and said that people unable to fulfill their
obligations and meet the requirements should make way for others. He
suggested the agencies to make concerted efforts to achieve the goals
set before the Committee.

The President commented on dismissal of Vahram Barseghyan from the
post of the Head of State Taxation Service. As early as on August
1, Barseghyan was warned that appropriate measures will be taken
if no substantial changes are recorded in the work of his agency,
the President said. During the next 20 days no changes were recorded
and no willingness to carry out reforms could be seen, the President
said. -0–

PRESIDENT: ARMENIA TO TRY TO SETTLE DISPUTABLE ISSUES DURING ITS CHAIRMANSHIP IN CSTO

ARKA
Aug 22, 2008

YEREVAN, August 22. /ARKA/. Armenia is going to settle disputable
issues in cooperation between the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) member-countries while chairing in the
organization, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting
of defense ministers of CSTO countries in Yerevan. Armenia is getting
prepared for chairmanship of the CSTO seriously, he said.

Armenia attaches importance to implementation of foreign policy
coordination mechanisms within the CSTO, including coordination of
views between representatives of member-courtiers in international
organizations, the UN and OSCE in particular, and provision of mutual
support, Sargsyan said as quoted by the presidential press service.

The President pointed to the recent UN "anti-Armenian" resolution, as
well as the resolution on Abkhazia as a serious failure of coordination
mechanism. Failure to ensure efficient implementation of CSTO documents
is another problem, the President said.

Sargsyan stressed the importance of consistent observance of
the existing agreements within the organization. In particular,
the protocol on formation of forces and means of CSTO-member
countries collective security system (Yerevan, 2001) is not being
implemented. The protocol provides for establishing a collective
security system of anticraft defense military systems in Caucasus,
electronic countermeasures,20reconnaissance, communication and other
fields through bilateral agreements.

The Agreement on mutual training of the military for CSTO-member
countries in military educational institutions as per uniform curricula
is also "dying on the vine", the President said.

At the sitting of the CSTO Defense Ministers Council, Defense Minister
of Kyrgyzstan transferred the Council chair powers to the Armenian
Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan.

ARMENIA-UKRAINE TRADE TURNOVER EXPECTED TO REACH $300MLN BY END OF 2008

ARKA
Aug 22, 2008

YEREVAN, August 22. /ARKA/. Trade turnover between Ukraine and Armenia
is expected to reach $300mln by the end of this year against $250mln
at the end of 2007, Ukrainian Embassy to Armenia reports.

Over the last 10 years trade turnover between Armenia and Ukraine
grew by 20 times and today Ukraine is the third biggest commercial
partner of Armenia after Russia and Germany, says the report of the
Embassy on the Independence Day of Ukraine.

Bilateral political dialogue is maintained through regular
consultations between the countries’ foreign ministries with the most
recent one held in April 2008 in Yerevan.

According to the report, Armenian delegation headed by President
Sargsyan attended the ceremony of opening of renovated Surb Khach
monastery in Crimea in July. The renovated church was

consecrated by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin the
Second. President Sargsyan met with his Ukrainian counterpart Victor
Yushenko and agreed on his official visit to Ukraine.

CULTURAL ILLUMINATION: THE CLOSING OF "ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE" TOMORROW

Panorama.am
16:13 22/08/2008

The head of the Diaspora committee Hranush Hakobyan received today
the leaders of Diaspora cultural unions and held talks concerning
Armenia-Diaspora cultural collaboration future plans.

Today evening a choir from Turkey will make its debut in Chamber House
named after Komitas and artists from Georgia will show their pictures.

The delegations of "One Nation, One Culture" pan-Armenian festival
are visiting Armavir, Ashtarak and Artashat at the moment.

In frames of the festival the presentation of famous "Nahapet" book was
made in Hungarian language. "Concerts of Amity" conducted in frames of
the festival will end tomorrow in the evening by celebration-concert
in Republic square, Yerevan.

Tomorrow the participants of the festival will have free entry to
museums and cultural centers. Moreover, the coming celebration-concert
in Republic square is expected to be a real cultural illumination.

RA PRESIDENT WILL TAKE PART IN THE SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

armradio.am
22.08.2008 16:37

The RA President Serzh Sargsyan will take part in the 63rd session of
the United Nations Organization (UNO) General Assembly in New York
at the of September. The Armenian President will have an appearance
during the session of General Assembly in New

RA GOVERNMENT IS UNDERTAKING PREPARING WORKS FOR SEPTEMBER 6

armradio.am
22.08.2008 17:14

Taking into consideration the possibility of Turkish football fans
visit in September 6, the Armenian Government commended the head of
police and the director of National Security service to strengthen
the serving during September 1-11. The department of Information
and connections with Public informs that the mayor of Yerevan was
commended to provide temporary conditions for the guests, to place
temporary objects of food, emergency etc to organize the normal
life of the capital. Last week the Government decided to determine
a regime of visiting Armenia without entrance visa for the citizens
of Turkey during September 1-6. So the Turkish football fans have a
chance to be present in the football match between Armenia and Turkey
in September 6.

RA PRESIDENT’S CONDOLING MESSAGE TO THE KING OF SPAIN

armradio.am
22.08.2008 17:15

The RA President Serzh Sargsyan sent a sympathizing message to the
king of Spain Xuan Carlos I connected with the air catastrophe in the
airport of Madrid. The message states: "I got the information about
the catastrophe in the airport with a deep care. In this difficult
moment for Spain the Armenian nation and I are sympathizing with you,
the families of the victims and the whole Spain in your sorrow".

DIPLOMATS ARE JUDGING OVER THE COUNTERACTION IN THE SOUTH OSSETIA

armradio.am
22.08.2008 17:16

"The South Ossetian counteraction and the counteraction between Russia
and Georgia showed that Georgia is very far from participation in the
NATO", Armenian diplomat leaving in America Richard Kirakosyan thinks.

According to him Georgia with its counteractions is not able to
participate in the organization yet. "I think that America stands
for the military stability in the region and not for such a false
man like Michail Saakashvili is. Analyzing the last events in the
South Ossetia the diplomat says that they will have two important
influences on Armenia. "The first is the negative influence on the
transport communication of Armenia; the second is the fact that
Georgian counteraction has postponed the development of NATO in the
region", the diplomat said. Diplomat from Russia Andranik Mihrannyan
says that Armenia and Russia are strategic collaborators, but NATO –
Russia relations can not have direct influence on Armenia.

"It is fact that the last events were profitable for Armenia to show
the world that interethnic problems must not be solved by military
actions", Mihrannyan said. As for Richard Kirakosyan, he thinks that
Armenia must take measures to provide the security of NKR. Diplomat
Alexander Iskandaryan from Armenia is agree with Mihranyan: "The
decision of NATO against Russian=2 0was clear, but we must not
overestimate its results", Iskandaryan says and adds that Russia was
ready to all this or it wouldn’t do so as he did in August 7.

RA PRESIDENTS CONDOLING MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE

armradio.am
22.08.2008 17:19

The RA President Serzh Sargsyan sent a sympathizing message to
the President of France Nicola Sarkozi connected with the death
of 10 French soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The message states:
"Mr. President, I am sympathizing with you in your sorrow. In this
difficult moment Armenian nation and I are condoling with you and
the relatives of the soldiers and the whole France. Accept, please,
dear President my deep respects".

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

POST-SOVIET SECURITY BLOC ENDS JOINT DRILLS IN ARMENIA

RIA Novosti
16:31 | 22/ 08/ 2008

YEREVAN, July 22 (RIA Novosti) – The joint Rubezh-2008
command-and-staff exercises of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization finished Friday in Armenia.

About 4,000 troops from Armenia, Russia and Tajikistan took part
in the four-stage military exercise, which started July 22, on the
territory of Armenia and Russia.

Other CSTO members were represented by military staff from their
defense ministries.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a security grouping
comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.