Author: Andres-Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN SIGNS LAW ON AMENDMENTS TO RA ELECTORAL CODE

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 14, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed on June 11 the law on
making amendments to the RA Electoral Code. Prior to that, he had
sent that law back to the National Assembly which adopted it, taking
the president’s proposal into account.

According to the RA presidential press service, S. Sargsyan also
signed the following laws: the law on an amendment to the Law on
Special Investigation Service, the law on additions to the Law on
Prosecutor’s Office, the law on amendments to the Law on State Duty,
the law on additions to the Law on State Registration of Legal
Entities, the law on amendments and additions to the Law on Fixed
Payments, and the law on additions to the Law on Psychiatric Aid.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MEETS WITH PACE PRESIDENT

Panorama.am
14/06/2010

Within the framework of his visit to Cyprus and the European conference
of parliament speakers in Limasol, Armenian Parliament Speaker
Hovik Abrahamyan met with the PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu and
the Parliament Speakers of a number of countries, Armenian National
Assembly information department reported.

Hovik Abrahamyan and Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the process of the
implementation of the PACE resolutions by Armenia, as well as the
developments over establishment of PACE preliminary committee on
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides agreed to have careful approach over the resumption of the
committee works. They highlighted that such steps should be taken so
that they don’t impede to the negotiating process within the framework
of the OSCE Minsk Group. It has also been noted that Azerbaijan’s
bellicose statements do not contribute to the atmosphere of trust
and cooperation.

On June 12, Armenian Speaker had a meeting with the EU Commissioner
for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg. Hovik Abrahamyan signified the
monitoring carried out by the commissioner’s office in Armenia.

Mr. Hammarberg said he will visit Yerevan in October. The sides
discussed legislative reforms in Armenia, regional issues.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO BE ON VISIT TO SAINT PETERSBURG ON JUNE 17-19

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 18:57 AMT 13:57 GMT

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will be on a visit to Saint
Petersburg on June 17-19, diplomatic sources told PanARMENIAN.Net
Details of the visit are not reported.

>From June 17 to 19, Saint Petersburg will be hosting the 15th
International Economic Forum, which brings together leaders of many
countries.

Besides, Serzh Sargsyan will participate in events dedicated to the
300th anniversary of the Armenian community of Saint Petersburg.

From: A. Papazian

POST-SOVIET SECURITY BLOC SAYS KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT’S ACTIONS NOT ENOUGH

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 19:20 AMT 14:20 GMT

On June 14, after a meeting in Moscow of member states’ national
security chiefs, the Collective Security Treaty Organization called on
the interim government of Kyrgyzstan to take all necessary additional
steps to quickly restore order in the country.

“The efforts by the provisional government of Kyrgyzstan to stabilize
the situation in the country are still insufficient,” the CSTO said
in a statement.

The Russia-dominated grouping, which also comprises Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, said that the
secretaries of members’ security councils “developed concrete proposals
aimed at reducing ethnic tensions” to present to CSTO presidents,
RIA Novosti reported.

Kyrgyzstan has asked Russia to send troops to help deal with the
violence in the south of the country, where the government says 124
people have died.

So far, Russia has only sent humanitarian aid and 150 paratroopers
to ensure security at its Kant airbase near the capital, Bishkek,
in the north of the country.

The possible deployment of peacekeepers was discussed at the CSTO
meeting and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said
the members hoped measures would be “coordinated soon.”

He added that the meeting participants “did not rule out the use of
any means on the CSTO agenda.”

More than 75,000 ethnic Uzbeks have reportedly fled Kyrgyzstan to
take refuge in Uzbekistan following the unrest.

From: A. Papazian

QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM TO BE REFORMED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 17:49 AMT 12:49 GMT

Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Mushegh Tumasyan said that the
quality control system needs to be improved in Armenia to comply with
international standards.

“This opinion is supported not only by international experts and
relative commissions. We do understand it,” Tumasyan told a briefing
prior to public discussions of the project on amendment of the Armenian
quality control system.

According to the Deputy Minister, a precondition was set on reformation
of the system during the process of European integration, including an
important stage of economic integration, which in its turn envisages
trade integration. “We need to protect consumers’ rights in our country
and have a safe production at the internal market to start negotiations
on free trade with EU. Besides, we need to export Armenian products
to European countries. That is why we have initiated the reforms,”
he said.

The Deputy Minister noted that reforms will be implemented in three
basic directions: standardization and accreditation; technical
regulations and market control; test, control checks and certification.

For his part, Armenian Minister of Economy Yeritsyan noted during the
public discussion that “EU is a strongly controlled market requiring
high standards, and our companies face difficulties in complying with
them.” “The reforms are aimed at increasing the competitiveness of
Armenia’s economy and increasing the country’s export potential,”
he noted.

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN GILBERT SINOUE’S NOVEL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TRANSLATED INTO BULGARIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 19:41 AMT 14:41 GMT

On June 11, Plovdiv hosted a presentation of Yerevan Gilbert Sinoue’s
novel on Armenian Genocide. The book was translated into Bulgarian.

The writer set the scene with an Armenian family pitilessly decimated
as part of the first Genocide perpetrated in the 20th century. He
starts his novel with description of Armenian massacre organized by
Sultan Abdul Hamid.

Armenian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Sergey Mansaryan as well as translator
and book editor Zlatko Staikov participated in the presentation.

From: A. Papazian

KARINA AMBARTSUMOVA WINS RUSSIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 15:31 AMT 10:31 GMT

International master Karina Ambartsumova became Russia’s Independence
Day rapid chess tournament winner, gaining 5,5 points out of 7
possible.

Grandmaster Artur Gabrielyan is leading Voronezh open tournament,
topping the standings with 9 participants.

International master Valentin Pambukchyan has gained 2 points out of
2 possible to share the leadership in a tournament going on in Varna,
Bulgaria, along with 14 other participants.

Lilit Galoyan will participate in Marx Gyorgy Memorial due August
5-16 in Hungary. The tournament will also host world champion Nona
Gaprindashvili (Georgia), Tatiana Kononenko (Ukraine), Szidonia Vajda,
Ildiko Madl, Lili Toth (Hungary), armchess.am reported.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN AND FRENCH BOXING TEAMS AGREE TO HOLD JOINT TRAININGS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 19:36 AMT 14:36 GMT

Armenian boxers won three medals at the European Boxing Championship
held from June 4 to 11 in Moscow. Specifically, Hrachik Javakhyan
(weight class 64kg) became European champion, while Hovhannes
Daniyelyan (weight class 48kg) and Arthur Khachatryan won bronze
medals. Armenia was represented by 10 boxers at the championship.

Chief Coach of the Armenian team Rafael Mehrabyan considers the
Armenian team’s participation to be normal. “Azat Hovhannisyan and
Andranik Hakobyan were boxing well during their quarterfinal bouts,
but they lost due to biased decisions of judges,” Mehrabyan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The Armenian delegation reached an agreement with the French team on
holding joint trainings. Thus, the trainings will be first conducted
in Armenia on July 20-27 and then in France.

From: A. Papazian

CO-PAYMENT SYSTEM TO BE INTRODUCED IN ARMENIAN MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2010 – 15:19 AMT 10:19 GMT

Armenian Healthcare Ministry representative Ara Ter-Grigoryan,
stated that the RA government has approved a pilot program envisaging
introduction of the system of co-payments in a number of Armenian
medical institutions, starting with Arabkir medical center.

“The program will last 6 months and will first of all refer to people
who undergo treatment by government order,” he said.

“A part of the sum will be paid by the government, the remaining part
– by the client. The project has two goals: to determine the real
amount of payments in the hospitals and avoid secret bargains. It
will first be launched in Yerevan and then in regions of Armenia,”
he said, adding that the payment system in maternity hospitals and
polyclinics will remain unchangeable.

The Ministry will conduct monthly monitoring to decide whether the
project should be prolonged.

From: A. Papazian

RA FOREIGN DEPUTY MINISTER ARMAN KIRAKOSYAN RECEIVES UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MARGARET SEKAGYA

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 14, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS: Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia
Armen Kirakosyan received today the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders Margaret Sekagya. The UN
Special Rapporteur arrived in Armenia at the permanent invitation of,
handed to the UN Special Procedures by RA Government in 2006. Such
an invitation has been handed to UN Special Procedures mainly by
the countries of the Western Europe. From the CIS member-states only
Armenia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine presented such an invitation.

Generally, 39 UN rapporteurs are operating.

An official from the press and information department of RA Foreign
Affairs Ministry told Armenpress that Mr. Armen Kirakosyan welcomed the
guest and represented the steps (among them the financial support),
undertaken by RA Government for the strengthening of the Ombudsman’s
Office. He underscored the importance of the independent operation of
the establishment. The fact, that more than 3000 NGO’s are registered
and operating in the Republic of Armenia, was stressed as well. The
speakers also discussed the results of the process of the general
regular observation. They mentioned that the responsibilities,
assumed within the framework of the process, will be exercised after
the official approval of the report at the session of the Council
for Human Rights.

The list of the responsibilities will be presented to the
representatives of the state establishments, NGO’s and civil society
of the Republic of Armenia. The two sides reached an arrangement to
meet again after the visits and meetings of Armenia to discuss the
observations jointly and present remarks.

From: A. Papazian