Author: Ekmekjian Janet

BOARD OF BENEFICIARIES OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES – ARMENIA PROGRAM TO CONVENE ROUTINE SESSION ON WEDNESDAY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, September 12. /ARKA/. Board of Beneficiaries of Millennium
Challenges – Armenia program is to convene a routine session on
September 13, Levon Barseghyan, a member of the board, said on Tuesday.
On March 27, an agreement was signed in Washington, under which $235.5
million had to be given to Armenia for roads and irrigation systems
restoration as part of Millennium Challenges program.
Millennium Challenges Corporation was established in 2004 as part of
the U.S. State Department’s program focused on economy development
and poverty reduction.

NEW SYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTAL CIRCULATION IS APPLIED IN YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/09/2006
>From now on the new electronic system of document circulation will be
applied in the Yerevan Municipality. The system is meant to establish
a joint electronic database of the municipal departments and the
city community administration bodies. Grigor Melkoumian, head of the
Municipality’s Staff, informed about this at the press conference. He
said that the specialists began the elaboration of the new electronic
system in 2005. The system began functioning from June 25 this year.
According to Melkoumian, each citizen has the right to enter
the Municipality without any passport or other documents, write
an application and get familiarized to the response of the
application. The Municipality has also installed a Xerox copy
machine in the entrance hall so that the citizens may use it if
needed. The community administrations will also be included in the
joint network. Melkoumian promised that that will happen soon, but
didn’t specify about the details.

EU “TRIO” TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
11.09.2006 18:11
For the purpose of signing the European New Neighbors Program EU
Trio will arrive in Armenia in the framework of a regional visit,
acting press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir
Karapetyan informs.
The press Secretary reported that the Trio delegation will comprise
representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Europe,
and the Finnish Chairmanship of the European Union. He added that
he possesses no official in formation who will represent the “Trio”
sides. However, according to preliminary information, Chairman of
the Council of Europe Havier Solana, Commissioner on Foreign Policy
Benita Ferero Waldner and the Finnish Foreign Minister are expected
to arrive in Armenia.

IN DPA CHAIRMAN’S WORDS, A GROUP OF KILLERS HAS APPEARED IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Sept 08 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The series of violence acts
committed in the recent months in Armenia is conditioned by launch of
preelection processes. Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia
(DPA) Aram Sargsian expressed such an opinion in his interview
to Noyan Tapan correspondent. In his words, “each time Robert
Kocharian gathers representatives of power structures and gives
them a telling-off, but this does not change the picture.” As the
DPA Chairman affirmed, a group of high-level killers has appeared in
the country, as the committed murders were planned and were done by a
cool calculation. In particular, in Sargsian’s words, the murder of
Cheif of the Investigation Department of State Tax Service attached
to RA government, Shahen Hovasapian, is a crime planned, organized
by a whole group, especially as installation of a radiocontrolled
device in a high-ranking official’s car “is not done for no particular
reason.” Shahen Hovasapian was killed in the morning of September 6.

Armenians of Spain Call upon Parliament to Recognize Armenian Genocide
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.09.2006 17:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian community of Spain called upon Spanish
MPs Rosa M. Bonas and Joan Puigcercos to open discussions on the
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The deputies appealed with
a corresponding interpellation to the Foreign Relations Committee
and other MPs to recognize the Armenian Genocide as a crime against
humanity. Later Rosa Bonas told Anatoly Turkish news agency, “We’ll
make changes in the proposal by taking out an article pressing Ankara
to recognize the Armenian Genocide.”
At the same time she said that she always has a special attitude to
national minorities nut learned about the Armenian Genocide only
after the appeal of the Armenian community. For his part, Turkish
Ambassador to Spain Volkan Vural stated that if the discussions open
they will damage the Spanish-Turkish relations.

Hoagland’s Chances in Senate 50/50
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.09.2006 13:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Richard Hoagland’s nomination has been only approved
by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The final decision will
be taken by the Senate, ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Office
Director Kiro Manoian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words,
Hoagland’s chances in the Senate are 50/50.
Even if the Senate approves an Ambassador who denies the Armenian
Genocide it will be not the end of the world. However I suppose that
the Senators will voice opinion and will urge the State Department to
recognize the Armenian Genocide or consider a new designation. It may
happen that the U.S. will remain without an Ambassador to Armenia for
a while, but to my mind, it’s inadmissible for the United States,
since the Bush Administration needs close ties with Armenia,”
Manoian emphasized.

“HUMAN RIGHTS 96” PARTY EXPRESSES ITS SOLIDARITY WITH EDITOR OF “IRAVUNK” NEWSPAPER BEATEN THE DAY BEFORE
Yerevan, September 7. ArmInfo. The “Human Rights 96” party expresses
its solidarity with the “Iravunk” newspaper editor, Hovhannes Galajyan,
beaten the day before y the two unknown people, and states of its
readiness to assist to the disclosure of this case.
According to the party’s statement, received by ArmInfo today,
the present criminogenic situation in the Republic indicates that
the authorities do not control the situation in the country. “The
officials, called to assure the security of Armenia’s citizens,
deal with political activities instead of fulfilling their official
commitments, which results in the growth of crimes in the country “,
the statement says.
To be noted, the editor of “Iravunk” (“Right”) newspaper, Hovhannes
Galajyan, was attacked and beaten by two unknown people that day
before in the Komitas Street, on his way to the work. According to H.
Galajyan, the motive of the attack relates to his professional
activity, since he has no personal enemies. However, the journalist
found difficulty in saying which article exactly had caused
dissatisfaction of the attack clients.

VARTAN OSKANIAN EMPHASIZES TOPICALITY OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF RURAL COMMUNITIES
Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “The third
Armenia-Diaspora forum coincides with the celebration of the 15th
anniversary of Armenian independence and this is an occasion to
cast a retrospective look and to estimate the way passed, as well as
to try to determine our mistakes and to outline our future steps,”
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared at the September
4 meeting with scientists at the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia. He presented the forum agenda and explained that this year it
is planned to pay much attention to discussion of general issues and
first of all to implementation of concrete programs. In particular,
the minister pointed to the topicality of the development program of
rural communities, within the framework of implementation of which it
is planned to provide assistance to 50 villages. In response to the
question of one of the scientists, why the problems of the Georgian
region of Samtskhe-Javakheti populated with Armenians are ignored at
such forums, the minister said that, of course, this problem concerns
Georgia, but Armenia cannot remain indifferent to the fate of its
compatriots and much is being done in this direction. “But subtlety
should be shown here. We cannot take unanimous steps. After all,
there are interstate relations and in consideration of the current
geopolitical situation in our country, including the Nagorno Karabakh
problem, we should show extreme caution in our relations with Georgia,”
Vartan Oskanian declared. Issues relating to dual citizenship were
also paid a special attention at the meeting. In the minister’s words,
the law “On Dual Citizenship” should never contain provisions that
can have a negative impact on the state security of Armenia. “It is
good that the forum will be held soon and this will enable to discuss
the issue at the forum and to hear the voice of the Diaspora.” Vartan
Oskanian said that the number of registered participants of the forum
has reached one and a half thousand, but this is not the final number
yet. He did not exclude that this number can reach two thousand.

SEMINAR FOCUSED ON SELF-DETERMINATION TO LAUNCH SATURDAY IN AUA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. A seminar focused on self-determination
is to launch Saturday in American University in Armenia.
The university’s press office told ARKA News Agency that Tom Musaelyan,
professor at the university, will present “self-determination” concept.
Anna Maralyan, a student, will speak on Montenegro’s independence
and Kosovo problems.
Emil Babayan, a lecturer at the university, is to speak about
Karabakh’s independence.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND SPECIAL ENVOY OF PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA
DISCUSS POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On September 1,
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the delegation led by
Samuel Moncada, Special Envoy of President of Venezuela, Minister of
Higher Education. Vartan Oskanian mentioned that Minister Moncada is
the first official of Venezuela to visit Armenia. As NT was informed
from RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department, the
interlocutors discussed the possibilities of development of bilateral
relations, activization of cooperation within the framework of
international organizations. It was mentioned that the small Armenian
community of Venezuela can play the role of a bridge for the two
peoples to get to know each other better.