Author: Badalian Vardan

LEADER OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN TO BE OFFICIALLY NOMINATED A CANDIDATE FOR ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AT THE END OF NOVEMBER

2007-11-12 14:39:00

ArmInfo. "National Unity Party’s jubilee conference held recently,
as is known, recommended the party’s presidium to nominate our
leader Artashes Geghamyan’s candidature in the coming presidential
election. The presidium of National Unity Party will make the final
decision on this matter at the end of November", Deputy Leader of NU
Party Gagik Tadevosyan told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, everything depends on when Artashes Geghamyan
himself will give his consent. "We expect a positive answer from the
party’s leader.

Afterwards the Presidium consisting of 21 members will officially
advance his nominee in the Feb 19 presidential election," G.Tadevosyan
said.

To recall, the Central Electoral Commission will register the
presidential nominees from November 21, 2007, till December 6, 2007,
6 pm.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAMS OF CHESS TO TAKE PART IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Panorama.am
16:16 12/11/2007

Armenian chess youth national teams will take part in the men’s and
women’s world chess championship. The tournament will take place
in Turkish Kemer-Antalia from November 17 to 29. Armenian chess
federation official web page informs that 8,10,12,14,16 and 18 year
old will compete.

ARMEX AND THE CENTRAL DEPOSITORY OF ARMENIA WILL BE REORGANIZED INTO OPEN JOINT STOCK COMPANIES

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Nov 12 2007

Yerevan, November 12 /Mediamax/. The self-regulating "Armenian Stock
Exchange" organization will be reformed to an Open Joint Stock Company.

Mediamax reports that the corresponding decision was made on November
9 during the special general meeting of the ArmeEx members.

The "Central Depository of Armenia" self-regulating organization will
also be reorganized into an Open Joint Stock Company. The corresponding
decision was also made on November 9, during the special general
meeting of the members of the "Central Depository of Armenia".

EARTHQUAKE

A1+
[03:28 pm] 09 November, 2007

November 9 a 4.5-magnitude earthquake was recorded on the Iran-Turkey
frontier, 23 km south-west to the town of Urmia. The force of epicenter
was six measured on the Richter Scale, RA National Seismic Centre
reports.

TREES WILL BE LOGGED BY GOVERNMENT DECREE

KarabakhOpen
09-11-2007 18:07:55

Logging of forests has been prohibited by a decree of the prime
minister, and from now on logging will be by government decree only,
said the vice premier of NKR, the minister of agriculture Armo Tsatryan
in an interview with Karabakh-Open.com. The decision was made in a
recent consultation on the activity of Artsakh Forest.

According to Armo Tsatryan, complaints came from people on illegal
logging, "although the leadership of Artsakh Forest denies it",
the government held a consultation on it.

It is not a secret that forests were being logged for a number of
years. The problem has been raised at different levels, including at
the National Assembly. As a result the forests near settlements have
been destroyed, whereas in unreachable parts it is impossible to cut
even the sick trees.

The lack of roads helped save forests in some parts.

"From now on all the issues concerning logging will be solved by
the government," Armo Tsatryan says. In the beginning, Artsakh
Forest, now a closed joint-stock company, will be reorganized into
a state non-profit organization. It will deal with preservation and
reproduction of forests. It will also express its opinion on government
decisions regarding logging.

"Some of the powers of Artsakh Forest will pass to the government. Now
we do not have to take rough measures because we cannot afford to
work out a program of protection and reproduction of the forest. Last
time a program was worked out in 1981-1983 for a ten-year period,"
the minister added.

According to Armo Tsatryan, now the government is addressing the
financial problems regarding the Artsakh Forest company.

AGHVAN HOVSEPIAN: CASE AGAINST KARABAKH COMMITTEE IS IN HANDS OF LEVON TER-PETROSIAN

Noyan Tapan
Nov 9, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The volumes of the criminal case
against the Karabakh committee was taken from the archives and handed
to Levon Ter-Petrosian, the first President of the Republic of Armenia,
on the order of the Prosecutor General by the Head of the Investigation
Section of those times yet in November 6, 1996. This statement was
made by Aghvan Hovsepian, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of
Armenia, during the November 9 meeting with journalists, in response
to the question concerning the results of the official investigation
appointed on the occasion of the disappeared criminal case. According
to him, the RA Prosecutor General’s Office has sent a writing to the RA
first President, asking to return the criminal case to the Prosecutor’s
Office. "Criminal cases are prohibited to be handed to another body
by the investigation one by law, even the President of the republic
has no right to demand the criminal cases and keep them in his hands,"
the RA Prosecutor said and added: "In my opinion, Levon Ter-Petrosian
will be so sensilbe as to return the case to the prosecutor’s office."

Vahagn Hayotsian, the executive secretary of the Armenian National
Movement party, refuted the statement of the RA Prosecutor General
in his interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent, saying that "it
does not correspond to reality."

SAYAT DAVTIAN DIES FROM FIRE-ARM INJURIES ON HEAD

Noyan Tapan
Nov 9, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A call was received in the duty
section of the administration of the police of the city of Yerevan
at 18:00 on November 8, which said that a skirmish is happening in
the market situated on Komitas 53 avenue.

The operative group, which arrived at the scene, found out that
an unknown person shot in the direction of Sayat Davtian, born in
1960, the Chairman of the RA Union of Hunters, for three times from a
fire-arm at about 17:45 and the latter died from the injuries received
on the head.

According to the information received from the internet site of the
RA Police, a 9mm calibre cartridge and a bullet have been discovered
at the scene.

A preliminary investigation is being conducted.

GOVERNMENT DECISION ON OPERATION OF TEGHUT MINE HAS NO LEGAL BASES, CHAIRMAN OF UNION OF GREENS STATES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 6, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA government’s decision on
operation of Teghut mine cannot have legal grounds, as it has been
made on the basis of forged documents. Hakob Sanasarian, the Chairman
of the Union of the Greens, stated at the November 6 press conference
adding that the project of Teghut mine operation contradicts the RA
Constitution and a number of other laws.

According to him, non-precise data on environment’s damage as a
result of mine operation are presented in the project. H. Sanasarian
said that by Teghut mine’s operation Armenia will irretrievably lose
thick natural forests with rich biological variety. According to him,
besides deforestations, non-cut forests of environment will be also
seriously damaged during the mine operation. It was also mentioned
that pollution and destruction of most important water emergence
systems is also inevitable there.

H. Sanasarian expressed the hope that the RA government and Prime
Minister will reconsider that decision. "Otherwise we will apply to
the court," he said.

BUDGET FINANCING FOR SCIENCE MAKES 0.29% OF GDP IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Nov 5, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. "It is no good times for science. Our
science together with culture has been the visiting card of the
Armenian people for centuries long. The public-political changes of
the recent years have had their influence on these spheres as well,
and today we have what we have," Radik Martirosian, the Chairman of
the RA National Academy of Sciences, declared during his meeting with
journalists held on November 2.

In the words of Radik Martirosian, the created situation has both
objective and subjective reasons, which have brought forth a situation
when a scientist has no expectations, he/she is no longer involved
in science, or leaves the country in despair.

According to the Chairman of the Academy, in 1990 the Academy had 7.5
thousand workers. This number has decreased by half today. The budget
allocated for science in 2008 is 1 billion drams more in comparison
with that of 2007. In general, 6.8 billion drams is envisaged to be
allocated for science next year, which is less than the 1 percent
of the expense part of the budget. 88% of the allocated sum makes
the salaries, the 12% left is used for other expenses, including
payments for the development of the science, maintenance of buildings,
and electricity.

Radik Martirosian mentioned that according to European theoreticians,
in a country, where the budget financing for the science makes less
than the one percent of the GDP, science can have no influence on
economy. In Armenia it makes 0.29 percent of the GDP.

The Chairman of the Academy mentioned that if a calculation is made
with the 2008 budget allocations, each scientist will recieve a salary
of one million drams (approximately 3000 U.S. dollars) every year,
whereas in developed countries this sum reaches 120-140 thousand
dollars every year.

Radik Martirosian also stated that, nevertheless, most of the
institutes of the Academy recieve foreign grants and thus organize
their scientific activities. Most of them cooperate with foreign
international scientific centers. Most of the scientists, at present,
have problem in investing scientific innovations in the local
industry. "A local industrialist or a businessman does not yet see
the cooperation between him/her and a scientist, especially, when the
results of the investments made in the science become visible later,"
he stressed.

Radik Martirosian declared that the scientific developments of Armenian
scientists are invested by 10%, in general, in the Armenian economy.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian presidential contenders are not pro-Russian
or pro-Western but pro-Armenian
03.11.2007 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia is interested in legal presidential
elections, said Konstantin Zatulin, member of the Russian State Duma
committee on CIS affairs.

`Let the Armenian people themselves decide who will be their next
President. Russia is interested in a staid election process, free of
outrage that could lead to split in the society. We are against any
political destabilization in Armenia,’ he said.

`Serge Sargsyan is a pro-Armenian candidate. The same can be said
about Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Given his vision of the internal policy,
Artur Baghdassaryan seems to orient to the West. But as a matter of
fact, all contenders are pro-Armenia,’ he said, Day.az reports.