Month: December 2008

DRAFT AMENDMENTS AND ADDENDA TO LAW ON REFERENDUM ADOPTED IN FIRST READING

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 3, the Armenian
parliament in the first reading with 88 votes "for," 7 "against"
and 2 "abstained" adopted a bill envisaging amendments and addenda
to the law On Referendum. According to the decision publicized the
day before, members of the only opposition faction, Zharangutiun
(Heritage), as well as independent deputy, former NA Speaker Tigran
Torosian criticizing the draft were against the bill.

According to the bill authored by the government, the right of
initiative to hold a referendum to reveal the public opinion on the
most important issues of state life is reserved for the government. The
necessity of holding a referendum to reveal the public opinion on
state’s foreign policy, military and national security issues and the
issues to be put on referendum should be coordinated with the President
in advance. The results of the referendum on the above mentioned issues
are considered positive if more than the half of the participants
vote for. And the draft put on referendum on adopting Constitution
or making amendments to it, adopting laws will be considered adopted
if more than the half of the voting participants, but no less than
a quarter instead of the current one third of citizens included in
the electoral lists vote for.

According to another amendment, in addition to the current limitations,
it is stipulated that no referendum can be held in the country,
either, in case President’s post remains vacant, until a newly elected
President assumes his post.

RA PRESIDENT DECLINES ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN’S APPLICATION ON GRANTING HIM RA CITIZENSHIP

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 2, the Passport and
Visa Department of RA Police officially informed Zhirayr Sefilian,
the Coordinator of the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers
national-political initiative, on declining his June 6 application on
granting him RA citizenship. According to the initiative’s report,
the notification with the signature of Passport and Visa Department
head read that Z. Sefilian’s application was declined according to
RA President’s decree N 311-A of November 18, 2008.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GOVERNMENT PROPOSES LIQUIDATING LIMITATIONS TO TIME FOR PROGRAMS BROADCAST IN NATIONAL MINORITIES’ LANGUAGES

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 3, the Armenian
parliament in the first reading adopted a bill authored by the
government envisaging amendments to the law On Television and
Radio. According to the bill, the current limitations to broadcasting
special programs in the languages of the RA national minorities is
liquidated. According to the limitations, the general duration of
such programs on television is set to up to one hour a week and on
radio up to one hour a day.

According to the main reporter, RA Minister of Justice Gevorg
Danielian, the amendments’ necessity proceeds from the requirements
of RA Constitution’s Article 27, expanding national minorities’ right
to receive and convey information in their language, as well as brings
the law in line with Council of Europe experts’ proposals, provisions
of the frame convention On Protection of National Minorities’ Rights.

In the opinion of bill’s opponents, including RPA member Armen
Ashotian, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport Affairs, if the limitation is
liquidated, the TV air can be flooded with unlimited Russian-language
programs, therefore it is expedient instead of liquidating the
limitation to double the time permitted at present.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES PROTOCOLS SIGNED BETWEEN CST STATES

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The Republic of Armenia National
Assembly on December 3 ratified two out of the documents signed on
October 6, 2007 in Dushanbe between the Collective Security Treaty
participant states, on the order of exercising control over target use
of production of military significance suppled within the framework of
the May 15, 1992 agreement on the main military-technical cooperation
principles between CSTO countries and the protocol on the mechanism
of providing military-technical assistance if a threat or action of
aggression emerges.

The same day the parliament also discussed another five agreements and
protocols signed between CSTO country-members in Dushanbe. According to
Armen Rustamian, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, ARFD faction member, the goal of the signed documents
package is to deepen and regulate cooperation between organization’s
member-countries, which the committee considers as a component of
Armenia’s national security.

EX-PRIME MINISTER OF UKRAINE VIKTOR YANUKOVICH TO VISIT ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Ex-Prime Minister of the Ukraine
Viktor Yanukovich will visit Armenia on December 5. He will take part
in events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Spitak earthquake.

It should be mentioned that the Spitak authorities have decided to
name one of the town streets in honor of the leader of the Ukrainian
Party of Regions V. Yanukovich. Thus, the Armenian side will express
gratitude to V. Yanukovich for his participation in town’s restoration
after the earthquake.

In 1988 V. Yanukovich headed the Donbasstransremont industrial complex.

According to the information of the Party of Regions, a letter had
been received from Spitak residents mentioning that V. Yanukovich
"from the very start took an active part in providing assistance to
those suffered from the earthquake, headed replenishment of rescue
detachments and construction subdivisions."

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS TO BE HELD FOR DISCUSSION OF SEVERAL BILLS RELATED TO ECONOMIC SPHERE

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Parliamentary hearings will be
held on December 12 on the initiative of the RA National Assembly
Standing Committee of Economic Issues. The committee chairman Vardan
Aivazian said at the December 2 sitting of the National Assembly that
at the moment the committee examines several bills of importance for
the country’s economic development, which should become a subject
of wide public discussion. Among these bills are the bill on making
amendments and additions to the Law on Fixed Payments and the bill
on honorary payments.

According to V. Aivazian, the indicated bills are aimed at developing
small and medium entrepreneurship in Armenia. He invited all interested
persons to participate in the hearings.

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF DIASPORA RECEIVES HEAD OF ARMENIAN DIOCESE OF GEORGIA AND DIOCESAN VICAR OF SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHK

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Problems of preserving Armenian
historic and cultural monuments in Georgia, repairs of schools in
Javakhk, teaching the history of Armenian church at schools, and
training of teachers were discussed at the November 2 meeting of the
RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian with the head of Georgia’s
Armenian diocese Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian and the diocesan vicar
of Samtskhe-Javakhk Father Babken Salbiyan.

The representatives of Georgia’s Armenian diocese presented some facts
related to the current state of the Armenian minority in Georgia,
laying stress on the churches expropriated in the Soviet time, in
particular, an encroachment on St. Norashen Church in Tbilisi.

Expressing her concern about the current situation, H. Hakoian said
that she hoped that Georgian authorities would undertake all possible
measures to prevent illegalities.

As NT was informed by the Press and PR Department of the Ministry of
Diaspora, on the same day H. Hakobian received the Lebanese ambassador
to Armenia Jebrail Zhaara. The ambassador spoke about Lebanon’s
experience in reptriation, attaching importance to creation of the
necessary socioeconomic conditions in the country for successful
repatriation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN UNION-TURKEY FORUM TO BE HELD IN POLAND

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

BRATISLAVA, DECEMBER 3, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. A European
Union-Turkey forum will be held on December 5-6 in the city of Sopot,
Poland. RA NA deputy, ARFD Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian, Chairman
of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe and Armenian community
of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian are also invited to take part in the forum.

Issues regarding Turkey’s membership to EU, Black Sea countries’
cooperation, South Caucasian countries’ cooperation, and other topical
issues will be discussed at the forum. Vahan Hovhannisian’s and Ashot
Grigorian’s participation is envisaged on the panel of South Caucasian
countries’ cooperation, where issues of increasing Turkey’s regional
influence and mediatory activity will be presented.

An equal number of participants are invited to the forum from EU
countries and Turkey, in general 150 people.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent reports from Bratislava, this forum is
considered the biggest conference dedicated to EU-Turkey relations
organized recently and is aimed at clearing up the future and
development process of the relations with Turkey. The Armenian
participants of the forum have serious expectations from the results
of discussion of Armenian problems (the Armenian Genocide, the Artsakh
problem, issue of neighborhood with Turkey, etc).

COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN CULTURE MINISTRIES OF ARMENIA AND UKRAINE

Noyan Tapan

Dec 3, 2008

ODESSA, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the solemn
events of opening an Armenian Culture Center in Odessa, on November
30, RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosian and Minister of Culture
and Tourism of the Ukraine Vasily Vovkun signed an Agreement On
2008-2012 Cooperation between the RA Ministry of Culture and the
Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, the agreement will ensure
proper legal field for further many-sided cultural cooperation between
the two countries.

GASPROM DELEGATION ATTENDS COMPLETION CEREMONY FOR KAJARAN-ARARAT SECTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA GAS MAIN

ARKA
Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, December 3. /ARKA/. A Gasprom delegation led by Board
Chairman Alexey Miller participated in a function on the occasion
of the welding of the last seam of the Kajaran-Ararat section of the
Iran-Armenia gas main.

The press service of the Gasprom OJSC reported that Alexey Miller
held a meeting with RA President Serge Sargsyan. The sides made a
high appraisal of the multi-aspect cooperation between Gasprom and
Armenia and expressed their confidence in its further development.

"Our long-term strategic cooperation with Armenia is based on mutual
confidence. Gasprom not only sells gas to Armenia, but is also involved
in gas transmission and marketing in the country. We have long-term
joint plans in the electric energy sector," Miller said.

He pointed out that the ArmRosgasprom Russian-Armenian JV has
been successfully operating for over ten years and constructed
the Kajaran-Ararat section of the gas main. "I am sure the new gas
main will essentially enhance the reliability of energy supply in
Armenia and properly contribute to the development of the region’s
gas infrastructure," Miller said.

The 206.5km-long Kajaran-Ararat section links the Iran-Armenia gas main
with Armenia’s gas transmission system. The section was constructed
by the ArmRosgasprom CJSC.

ArmRosgasprom holds a monopoly o f the supply and transmission of the
Russian gas in Armenia. The company was founded in 1997 by Gasprom
(69.94%), RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (26.23%) and
Itera oil and gas company.