Author: Antonian Lara

ARMENIAN CB CHAIRMAN TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETING OF GAF SUPERVISORY COUNCIL

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 21 2007

YEREVAN, May 21. /ARKA/. Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
Tigran Sargsyan is to participate in a meeting of the Supervisory
Council of the German-Armenian Fund (GAF) to be held in Frankfurt. The
CBA press service reports that the meeting is to discuss GAF’s new
projects.

The CBA Chairman is being accompanied by CBA Vice-Chairman Artur
Javadyan, who is to continue participating in the Council’s meeting
until May 25.

GAF was founded in 1998 under an Armenian German intergovernmental
agreement on financial cooperation in supporting small businesses in
Armenia.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAS ONCE AGAIN PRESENTED AT MOSCOW TOURISM EXHIBITION

TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 17 2007

Russia, Moscow / corr. Trend R.Agayev / A separate hall of the occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was once again presented at the
Moscow tourism forum. A separate stand presented Nagorno-Karabakh as
a geographic region in the 7th International Tourism Fair which was
opened on 17 May in Moscow at the exhibition center, Trend Special
Correspondent reports.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus appeared in
1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. Since
1992 to the present time, these territories have been under the
occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a cease-fire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA)
are holding peaceful negotiations.

One week before the Moscow forum, the Heads of the Azerbaijani
diaspora organizations (Federal National Cultural Autonomy of
the Russian Azerbaijanis, International Karabakh Foundation and
Co-ordination Council of Azerbaijani Youths) forwarded letters
to the Tourism Committee of Moscow. A letter highlighted their
powerlessness to represent Nagorno-Karabakh both as a Republic and
as an independent region. The letters recalled negative results
in the previous 6th Moscow exhibitions (13 May, 2006) where this
occupied region of Azerbaijan was presented as self-declared "
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". During the exhibition, the activists
of the Azerbaijani diaspora organizations attempted to prevent the
Armenians from presenting the hall as so-called "NGR" and this led
to controversy. The letter states that the decision on presenting
the hall as of Nagorno-Karabakh may yield negative results and
the Tourism Committee of Moscow will take responsibility for the
negative results. The representative of the Tourism Committee stated
by telephone that this time Nagorno-Karabakh will not be presented
as a republic and the stand will not reflect any status. However,
the Azerbaijani diaspora organization insisted on full liquidation
of the Nagorno-Karabakh hall.

Nagorno-Karabakh was presented in the tourism fair not as a
republic, but as a geographic region. However, the hall featured
Azerbaijani items, household items, dresses, wine are represented
by the Armenians. On 18-19 May, on par with the presentation of the
official stand of Azerbaijan, it is planned to present a separate
stand of Nagorno-Karabakh. The activists of the Azerbaijani diaspora
organizations have highlighted their intention to prevent it.

ZAVEN ANDRIASIAN DEFEATS AZERBAIJANI CHESS-PLAYER IN START OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
May 17 2007

KIRISHI, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The first tour was held in the World
Youth Stars International Chess Tournament on May 16 in the town of
Kirishi, Leningrad region. Among representatives of Armenia, world
youth champion Zaven Andriasian defeated Azerbaijani Eltoj Sasarli and
Avetik Grigorian drew the game with Indian Negi Parimarya in that tour.

NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVED AMBASSADOR ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK

ArmRadio.am
16.05.2007 12:35

On May 15 NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan received the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk.

NKR President’s Acting Spokesman told ArmInfo that among others the
issue of carrying out planned monitoring of the contact line of the
Armed Forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan to be held on May 16.

DEFENCE EXPENDITURES OF ARMENIA GROW BY 7.6% IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2007 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Out of the budgetary expenditures
of 93 bln 73.9 mln drams (about 259 mln USD) in January-March 2007,
expenditures in the defence sector amounted to 15 bln 762.9 mln drams,
exceeding by 7.6% the index of the same period of alst year. The ratio
of defence expenditures to Armenian GDP made 5.1% in January-March
2007 against 5.4% in January-March 2006.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, budgetary
expenditures on protection of public order, national security and
justice made 7 bln 474.8 mln drams, exceeding by 12.7% the index of
the same period of 2006, while thier ratio to GDP was 2.5% in the
first quarter of 2006 against 2.4% in the first quarter of 2007.

Expenditures in the sphere of education and science made 15 bln 711
mln drams (23.3% growth on the same period of last year), while their
ratio to GDP increased from 4.7% to 5%. 13 bln 284.9 mln drams was
spent in the sphere of social insurance and social security (14.5%
growth), while their ratio to GDP remained at the same level of
4.3%. Expenditures in the health sector amounted to 7 bln 334.4 mln
drams (16.1% growth), their ratio to GDP remained at the level of 2.3%.

In January-March 2007, 6 bln 23.4 mln drams was spent in the sectors
of transport, communication and road maintenance (40.5% growth). The
ratio of these expenditures to GDP made 1.9% against 1.6% in the same
period of last year.

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE: THE ELECTION IN ARMENIA WAS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

ArmRadio.am
15.05.2007 11:01

US Department of State Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said that "we do
congratulate the Armenian people on their parliamentary elections
and share with the international observers who were present the view
that the election infrastructure has been greatly improved and that
this is a step in the right direction towards meeting international
standards". Tom Casey said this adressing a briefing in Washington DC,
Mediamax reports.

"We do hope, however, that the Government of Armenia will aggressively
investigate allegations that are there of electoral wrongdoing and
prosecute people in accordance with Armenian law. So all and all, I
think this is an improvement over past elections; though certainly
if you look at what the observers said, it did not fully meet
international standards," US Department of State Deputy Spokesman said.

"There’s still some ways to go before you would have an election that
fully meets all the international standards," he noted.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia: CIS observers offer colleagues to join their statement
13.05.2007 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 239 people are accredited in the CIS Observation
Mission. They represent legislative, executive, electoral bodies of
Armenia, Byelorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Moldova, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The CIS Mission also includes
representatives of Byelorussia-Russia Parliamentary Union and bodies
of the Commonwealth – Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS
member-states, the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of
Independent States. Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth, head of
CIS Mission Vladimir Rushaylo made this statement to a press
conference in Yerevan.

He underlined CIS international observers fulfilled their duties in
accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, they did
not interfere in the election process and were guided by the principle
of political neutrality towards participants of the electoral process.

`Observers were provided the right to talk with participants of
electoral process, representatives of executive bodies. The
Headquarters of the CIS Mission held meetings with the Central
Electoral Commission, Office of General Prosecutor, Police and the
Armenian National Commission on Television and Radio.

Members of the Headquarters exchanged information with the
representatives of political parties and their campaign public
headquarters, state bodies, which are responsible for preparation and
conduction of elections, candidates to the Armenian National Assembly,
their proxies,’ Rushaylo said.

He added the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS member-states
established an informational-consultative center, which allowed
observers of the Commonwealth Mission to evaluate the process of
campaign fully. During their activity the CIS long-term observers
visited all constituencies.

`The CIS Mission worked in an open and public way. It released three
informational messages, a press release and an interim report. During
the long-term observation the Mission singled out separate
shortcomings in organizing campaign and work of commissions. For
example, they concerned the state of voters’ list, absence of
signboards with the number of polling stations and information about
the borders of polling stations, about the composition of Precinct
Electoral Commissions. Such shortcomings were registered in 9, 10, 16,
25 constituencies, however they were of technical character, they were
not large scale and the commissions immediately eliminated them by the
offers of observers. During the monitoring the Mission continued the
practice of exchanging views on holding the campaign with OSCE
long-term observers,’ the head of CIS Observation Mission underscored.

PRESS TV, Iran
May 13 2007

Republican Party wins Armenia polls
Sun, 13 May 2007 20:50:39

Armenia’s Republican Party of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian has won
the most seats in parliamentary elections with 39.2 percent of the
votes.

The Prosperous Armenia Party tool 14.7 per cent and came after the
Republican Party.

More than 2 million Armenians voted May 12 in Armenia’s fourth
elections since the South Caucasus country gained independence in
1991, with twenty-two parties and one election bloc running for 131
seats in the parliament.

The opposition party claimed there have ballot rigging in many areas,
but the western observers believed that the poll was fair comparing
to the previous elections in Former Soviet Union.

The Armenia Revolutionary party known as the third strongest
political party took 12.8 per cent of the votes, and the former
parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian’s party received 6.9 per cent
of the votes.

Thousands of opposition supporters went to the streets of Yerevan
before the polling Saturday to object possible electoral
irregularities.

The Armenian president threatened to use force to prevent mass
protests and a change of power as was the case in Georgia and the
Ukraine.

ZHARANGUTIUN PARTY FIXES A NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS ABOUT WHICH INFORMS
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS

YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. As of 11:00, May 12, one of voters at the
polling station of school No153 (Anastasavan) saw that a note is taken
by a pen in the part of the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party of the
ballot-paper given to him. It means that the ballot-paper must be
recognized invalid. As Vardan Khachatrian, involved in the proportional
list of the Zharangutiun party, informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
the voter asked that the ballot-paper was drawn up a report and he was
given another ballot-paper.

V. Khachatrian mentioned that the Central Electoral Commission
responsible authorized by their party left for the given place. "In the
case of those electoral violations, the votes got by the party in the
given polling station may be recognized invalid."

Gevorg Kalenchian, the Director of the Zharangutiun party central
office also stated that at the same hour, Larisa Alaverdian involved in
their proportional list also fixed some violations at polling station
12/26 of Noragavit school 98. In her words, representatives of a party
take people by buses who use different pens when voting. Gevorg
Kalenchian stated that they at present informed the international
observers for they go to those polling stations and make a report.

PRESS RELEASE
UN Department of Public Information
Contact: Information Officer Armine Halajyan
Yerevan Office (Armenia)
Tel.: (374 10) 560 212
Fax/Tel.: (374 10) 561 406
Mobile: (374 91) 20 37 25
Press Release

Date: 11 May, 2007

"Youth Career Trail" — UNDP Global Compact Armenia Gives Innovative
Solutions to Youth Employment in Armenia

YEREVAN, May 11, 2007 – Today during a press conference at the UN
Armenia Office UNDP Global Compact Armenia presented its new project the
"Youth Career Trail" related to youth unemployment problems offering an
innovative approach to solve them. This is a paid internship project to
be conducted from June to December 2007 that offers fresh graduates with
an opportunity to be involved for the first time in an employment
relevant to their education. They will also gain valuable work
experience and practical knowledge to become more competitive in their
access to the labor market. The project is designed to address the
difficulties faced by youth in making the transition from school to
work, as well as match both the young unemployed and host organizations’
needs.

The Global Compact Armenia project coordinator Arman Valesyan in his
briefing told the journalists that within the period of six months the
project is estimated to provide over 60 unemployed graduates between 19
and 25 years of age with valuable first work experience with the UN
agencies, private sector companies and community-based organizations in
fields relevant to their education.

Global Compact Armenia in cooperation with the host organization will be
responsible for recruiting, selecting, and placing interns. UNDP
Resident Representative Ms. Consuelo Vidal told the audience that the
positions will be located in Yerevan and in the regions. "Host companies
will provide adequate workload and on-job trainings required for the
position," she added. "They will be also encouraged to hire interns in
accordance with their rules and regulations upon completion of the
internship period."

The skills of the young people to enter the job market will also be
enhanced through capacity building for CV preparation, interview taking,
presentation/communication and other skills provided by American
University of Armenia and other training organizations.

Electronic copy of application form can be filled in on
starting 12th of May 2007 or sent via e-mail to the [email protected]. Hard copy
of application form can be submitted to the UNDP Armenia, 14 Petros
Adamyan St, Yerevan. The deadline for application submission is 12:00 of
May 29, 2007.

Global Compact Armenia is a project of the United Nations Development
Programme launched in 2006 to promote the corporate social
responsibility (CSR) in Armenia.

* * *
UNDP is the UN’s global development network. It advocates for change and
connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people
build a better life. We operate in 166 countries, working with them on
their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As
they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our
wide range of partners.
* * *

UN DPI is the UN’s Department of Public Information. It disseminates
first-hand information about the United Nations global events. Local DPI
offices assist UN Country Teams to disseminate their information to
wider public audiences.
* * *