Author: Badalian Vardan

RA NA MAKES IN FIRST READING AMENDMENTS TO LAW "ON TELEVISION AND RADIO"

Noyan Tapan
Feb 22 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly adopted
in the first reading at the February 21 special sitting the package
envisaging amendments and additions to the laws "On Television
and Radio" and "On Regulations of Television and Radio National
Committee." It arises of the necessity to bring in correspondence
with the constitutional amendments connected with the orders of
formation of the Television and Radio National Committee (TRNA) and
stopping members’ commissions. According to it, it is fixed that the
TRNA is an independent coordinating state body, a half of members
of which is elected by the NA for 6-year term, and the other half is
appointed by the RA president for the same term. The TRNC functioning
at present is formed of 9 members appointed by the RA President. It
is envisaged by the transitional principles of the draft that the
present members of the committee will continue officiating till the
end of the term of their commissions until the committee staff becomes
8 members. Until the committee staff becomes 8 members, no new member
will be appointed or elected in the case if a vacant place appears. In
the case of existence of a vacant place at the committee in future,
appointments will be made according to the sequence, once by the NA
decision, then by the RA President’s decree.

CANADIAN ARMENIANS RAISE MONEY FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMEMT OF TWO ARMENIAN BORDER VILLAGES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 21 2007

OTTAWA, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Congress
of Canadian Armenians announced that it will raise money
for the reconstruction and development of two Armenian border
villages. According to the congress’ press release, in the next 5 years
Canadian Armenians will aim to secure funds for these two villages
through Canadian donors, Radio Liberty reports. "At the request of
the Armenian government, these funds will reach their beneficiaries
via the Canadian branch of the "Hayastan" Fund," the press release
reads. The two villages are among 50 ones included by the Armenian
government in the program on poverty reduction in rural areas.

THE 4TH "GOLDEN APRICOT" FESTIVAL TO BE HELD JULY 9-14

ArmRadio.am
20.02.2007 17:33

The 4th "Golden Apricot" film festival will be held July
9-14. According to an earlier agreement, it will be opened with the
film of Taviani brothers " The Lark Farm."

Programs director Mikhael Stamboltsyan said at a press conference
today that up to now 74 films have been presented, 30 of which have
been brought from the film festivals of Rotterdam and Berlin.

For the first time this year the festival will have the jury of the
International Federation of the Association of Film Critics and an
ecumenic jury.

ARTASHES MINASIAN PERFORMS SUCCESSFULLY IN "AEROFLOT OPEN" TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 20 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The next meetings
of the chess international tournament entitled "Aeroflot Open" took
place in Moscow on February 19: Stanislav Novikov is the leader in
the A1 group. He got 5 points from 6 possible ones. 4 chess players,
including Artashes Minasian, occupy the 2nd-5th horizontal lines of
the table, having 4.5 points each.

Vladimir Hakobian and Gabriel Sargsian have 4 points each, Karen
Asrian has 3.5 points, Zaven Andriasian has 3 points, Ashot Anastasian
and Tigran L.Petrosian have 2 points each. Alexander Danin (Russia)
and Shokhrat Stasin (Uzbekistan) are the leaders of the A2 group,
having 5.5 points each. Arman Pashikian, Tigran Nalbandian, Arsen
Yeghiazarian, Beniamin Galstian, Davit Petrosian and Artur Chibukhchian
share the 13th-33rd places with a big group of chess players.

Davit Kalashian shares the 3rd-10th places in the B group, having 5.5
points from 7 possible ones. Suren Poghosian and Tigran Simonian got
again 5.5 points from 7 possible ones in the C group. They share with
the rivals the 6-16th places.

HERITAGE PARTY WILL HAVE TO EXERCISE ITS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS IN EMERGENCY SITUATION

Panorama.am
20:33 19/02/2007

Heritage (Jarangutiun) party press services released an open message
on the day of the anniversary of shutting the office of the party. The
statement says in particular, "After more political and civic activism
of Jarangutiun party since fall, 2005, the ruling administration has
launched violent attacks against ordinary members of the party and
its founder, Raffi Hovhannisyan."

The letter also says since the day the door of the office was locked,
the party is deprived of its normal activities and has no access to
the file cabinets. The statement says that the party has applied to
all structures, including police, prosecutor’s office, review and
appeal courts but in vein. Until today the office is sealed.

"If until the end of this month, that is the one year anniversary of
illegal closing of the office and close to parliamentary elections
no practical step is taken, Jarangutiun will have to exercise its
constitutional rights in emergency situation," the statement says.

TWO ARMENIANS AMONG ARRESTED CUSTOMS OFFICIALS IN GEORGIA

Panorama.am
17:13 19/02/2007

On February 12, customs employees of Jdanovka customs point, Arthur
Khotsanyan, Simon Albertyan and Tamaz Nikatsadze, were arrested by
Georgian financial police and transported to Tbilisi for preliminary
custody, A-info told Panorama.am. The customs officials are accused
in careless work, which is charged under article 342 of the Georgian
Criminal Code.

ARTASHES MINASIAN AND DAVIT PETROSIAN HAVE TWO VITCORIES EACH IN MOSCOW
TOURNAMENT

MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2nd stage meetings of the
"Aeroflot Open" international big tournament were held in Moscow on
February 15. In the A1 group where 84 participants are involved, 7
chess players got 2 points each. Artashes Minasian is also among them.
24 chess players, including Vladimir Hakobian, got 1.5 points each.
Davit Petrosian and other 17 chess players got 2 points each in the A2
group, and other 5 chess players of Armenia got 1.5 points each. To
recap, 143 chess players perform in the A2 group, 203 ones in A3 group,
and 153 chess players perform in the A4 group.

icBerkshire, UK
Feb 16 2007

Man wins fight for wife to stay

Feb 16 2007

By Dominic Bareham

A DISABLED man has spoken of his delight that his Armenian wife can
stay in the country and has praised the Express for helping his dream
become a reality.

Keith Ackrill, of St Chad’s Road, Maidenhead, said he did not think
his partner Svetlana would have got a spouse’s visa if this paper had
not publicised her cause which would have left him without her vital
care to cope with being paralysed down one side.

He said: "I think the Express campaign did make a difference. Without
it nobody would have known what was happening. We would have been
passed over and left."

Svetlana had been forced to return to her homeland to apply for the
spouse’s visa in November because her visitor’s visa had expired and
she did not have a work permit.

Earlier this month, the couple were hit by a further blow when she
was told she could have to wait nine months to find out if her
application had been successful, leaving Mr Ackrill unable to wash or
change his clothes.

But on Monday Mr Ackrill heard the good news that the Home Office had
granted the spouse’s visa and she went to the British Embassy in the
Armenian capital Yerevan to collect her visa at 1pm British time.

He said: "I feel fantastic and wonderful. She has collected the visa,
she has got it in her hand at home. It has made my year."

A Home Office spokesman explained the decision to grant the visa.

He said: "We do not comment on individual cases.

"All applications for entry clearance are considered on a
case-by-case basis taking into account all the circumstances of the
application including where appropriate any compassionate
circumstances."

Mrs Ackrill will be met by her husband and two of his friends when
she arrives back in the country on Friday, and Mr Ackrill, 61, said
he had a surprise planned for when she got back.

RUSSIA TO PROMOTE RA ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.02.2007 13:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia will continue rendering assistance to Armenia
for the development and perfection of the national anti-aircraft
defense system, said Russian armed forces commander-in-chief, general
Vladimir Mikhaylov. "On one hand we are glad about the level of the
Armenian air defense system. On the other hand, we will assist you
with the strengths and means of the Russian 102nd base," the general
said Thursday when opening in Yerevan the educational-methodological
muster of the armed forces and air defense commanders of the CIS
member states.

Representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine take part in the muster, reports
Interfax.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 15 2007

SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEY: RUSSIA’S POSITIONS CONSOLIDATE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, February 15. /ARKA/. According to the sociological survey
25% of Russians believe that Russia’s positions consolidate in
Armenia. The All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion
(VTSIOM) conducted the poll on February 3-4 aiming to inquire
Russians about the situation in the countries of the previous USSR.
22% respondents believe that Russia gives up its positions in
Armenia, 32% estimated them as unchanged, 20% found it difficult to
answer.
24% respondents believe that Russia’s positions consolidate in
Azerbaijan, 32% estimated them as unchanged, 21% found it difficult
to answer.
The record-breaking number of respondents – 70% said that it gives up
its positions in Georgia, 9% noticed consolidation, 10% said that
they remain the same, 11% found it difficult to answer.
52% respondents observed weakening of Russia’s positions in Belarus,
20% believe that they consolidate, 15% – they remain the same, 13%
found it difficult to answer.
Russia’s positions in Kazakhstan are consolidating (39%), are
weakening (15%), they remain the same (30%), 16% found it difficult
to answer.
The answers to the question, "What do you think, Russia’s positions
in the countries of the previous USSR consolidate or weaken?" were
the following: more likely they consolidate – 34%, more likely they
weaken – 44%, 22% found it difficult to answer.
Those who believe that Russia’s positions consolidate – 33% – connect
it with Russia’s foreign policy, 25% – with Russia’s economic
resources, 14% – with economic difficulties in the previous USSR
countries, 14% – with Russia’s stronger interest in cooperation with
the post-Soviet countries, 4% – with the weakening of the influence
of the USA and other Western countries on the post-Soviet
territories. At last, 9% of the respondents who observe Russia’s
consolidation find it difficult to determine what the reason is.
1.6ths respondents from Russia’s 46 regions and 153 populated areas
participated in the survey. L.M. -0–