Author: Emil Lazarian

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SIGNS DECREE TO AWARD FRIENDSHIP ORDER TO ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.08.2006 13:16 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree
on awarding Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II with Friendship
Order. The Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II is awarded for
large contribution to development and strengthening friendly relations
between Russia and Armenia, reports the Kremlin Press Service.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANJAR ARMENIAN-POPULATED VILLAGE IN LEBANON NOT BOMBED BY ISRAELIS
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.08.2006 13:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Euronews report on bombing of Anjar
Armenian-populated village by Israeli air craft is false,” stated
Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan in an interview
with the Public TV Company of Armenia. He reported he had a meeting
with Anjar administration head Skoyan, who stated that Anjar and
adjacent territories were not bombed.
According to him, the road, which is 2-3 km away from Anjar and
connects Lebanon with Syria from Damascus side, was bombed. Skoyan
said villagers have everything necessary and they even help residents
of nearby Arab villages.
According to the diplomat, the Armenian Embassy in Lebanon keeps in
touch with the community’s leaders.
“All the leaders cooperate very well and the community helps 15
thousand refugees actually,” he remarked.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PROVINCES LACK MEDICAL STAFF
Armenpress
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS: In remote provinces and settlements
of Armenia there exists a demand for 511 doctors, according to the
Armenian Health Ministry. Particularly in the province of Gegharkunik
there are vacancies for 128 doctors, in Syunik 88. For filling the
gap the ministry is going to develop a policy to fill the vacancies
in the remote areas.
According to that policy, starting from the next year those who will
graduate from state-funded places of internatura and ordinatura
of the Medical University will be sent to the Armenian provinces,
in case of their refusal they will have to pay the tuition fee of
the past years. The doctors who will be sent to the provinces will
be provided an apartment and their conditions of life will be ensured.
According to the World Health Organization, in 57 developed and
developing countries including in Armenia, there exists lack of medical
staff as a result of which annually 10 million people throughout the
world die from infectious diseases, complications during pregnancy
and delivery.
For preventing that the experts of WHO published a report in which
they encourage the countries of the world to develop a strategy for
ten years. The report also advices the governments of the countries
to direct the 50 percent of the funds provided for the health sphere
to the training of the medical staff.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

1797 EMERGENCIES REPORTED IN YEREVAN IN 1ST HALF OF 2006
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 8, 2006
YEREVAN, August 8. /ARKA/. About 1800 emergencies were reported in
Yerevan in the first half year of 2006.
The Vice-Chief of the Rescue Service Vrej Gabrielyan told journalists
that 946 cases were man-caused situations, 31 – natural disasters,
and 867 – cases of social-life nature. He said during the reported
period as a result of emergencies 69 people were killed, and 1147 –
were hurt, 1078 people were wounded.
“Analysis show that majority of people, 59,4% are victims of man-caused
catastrophes”, Gabrielyan said. S.P.–0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALL AZERBAIJANI POWS WERE RETURNED WITHIN 2 YEARS AFTER CEASE-FIRE OF
1994: NKR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Stepanakert, August 7. ArmInfo. “Being engaged in the problem of POWs
and the missing for already thirteen years, I can say that all the
Azerbaijani POWs were returned within 2 years after the cease-fire
established in the May of 1994,” Albert Voskanyan, Director of
Karabakh Center of Civil Initiatives (CCI) human rights organization,
told ArmInfo commenting on the last statements by Arzou Abdullayeva,
Chairwoman of Azerbaijhani National Committee of Helsinki Civil
Assembly.
A. Voskanyan said he personally exchanged or transferred to
Azerbaijani party several hundreds of POWs, dozens of bodies and
remains. As regards A. Abdullayeva’s statement on mass burial of the
Sumgait regiment fighters under Agder, A. Voskanyan said the place
of the burial is currently searched. He thinks it inexpedient making
suppositions and naming specific persons only on the basis of rumors
not to cause a new trauma to the relatives of the missing. Regarding
Abdullayeva’s statements on the penitentiary system in Karabakh, A.
Vskanyan said CCI, the only one among NGOs, has been engaged in
monitoring or NKR penitentiaries for several years. It makes reports
to international, regional and local structures. He said the Department
of Execution of Criminal Punishments attached to the NKR Police, which
is more known as Shushi Prison, was built yet in 1869. About 350
people can be kept at the establishment. There are 5 penitentiary
regimes at the prison. Over the years of the monitoring, the number
of prisoners fluctuated between 60-80 people. “At the moment when
Ms. Abdullayeva visited the penitentiary, the number of prisoners
totaled 78 people. Hence, the figure she mentioned, that is 300 people
kept on the ground floor alone, does not correspond to reality.
Moreover, the monitoring by CCI and the visits by foreign, including
Azerbaijani, human rights protectors, registered normal sanitary and
hygienic conditions at the prison, good catering and medical service
etc.. Although the cells are far from meeting European standards,
but their are being optimized and improved also with help of CCI,
(recommendations and technical assistance in terms of computers,
books, newspapers, medicines etc.. )A. Voskanyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AS OF AUGUST 7, NEW EXAMINATION DAY IS APPOINTED
FOR 650 ENTRANTS PRESENTED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. 43 cases of losing the examination
paper and 56 cases of being late for the exam were fixed at the
Republican Entrance Commission from the beginning of the etrance
examinations of institutions of higher education till August 7. As
Sasun Melikian, the Responsible Secretary of the REC explained at the
August 8 press-conference, according to the order, in similar cases the
entrant’s examination day is changed and a new day is appointed. 43
cases are aslo fixed when because of an entrant’s being unhealthy,
an exam was stopped by a doctor’s corresponding certificate and a
new day was appointed. Based on the medical certificate, an exam
was postponed and a new examination day was appointed for 650
entrants. Ruben Topchian, the Director of the REC Counting Center
mentioned that this year entrants more preferred social sciences,
and less preferred biological sciences. By R.Topchian’s another
observation, this year the applicants more preferred those institutions
of higher education of an equal profession where the education payment
is lower. It was also mentioned that according to the acting order, in
the case of getting an unsatisfactory mark for a subject, the entrant
may continue participating in other exams. After end of exams, such
entrants may get a certificate from the Counting Center concerning
positive marks and to address to an institution of higher education
having correspondence courses, taking only one exam, for which they
have got unsatisfactory mark.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN SHOULD WEIGHT ALL THE “FOR” AND
“AGAINST” VERY WELL BEFORE TRYING TO RETURN THE TERRITORIES UNDER
CONTROL OF NAGORNY KARABAKH BY FORCE
Yerevan, August 7. ArmInfo. Azerbaijan should weight all the “for”
and “against” very well before trying to return the territories under
control of Nagorny Karabakh by force, Alimamed Nuriyev, President of
Constitution Research Fund, ex-member of Milli Mejlis Commission for
Security and Defense, told Day.az.
He said that despite the definite quota established for Azerbaijan and
Armenia by NATO, the Azerbaijani army prevails over the Armenian and
Karabakh ones with its staff and technical equipment. However, this
prevalence is not enough for Azerbaijan to be sure in victory over
Armenians, he said. “One should not forget that Russia supported and
supports Armenians and Karabakh separatists and arms them. Of course,
we have some information that this armament is outdated and that our
army is better armed,” A. Nuriyev said. He thinks the Azerbaijani
leadership will not resolve to start military actions.
“Azerbaijani army is currently strengthened and this process will
continue,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SOUTH CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES ENCOUNTER SAME
PROBLEMS RELATED TO MAN-CAUSED RIVER POLLUTION
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Rafael Hovhannisian, Chairman of
the Union of Armenian Ecologists NGO, subscribes to the opinion of
Azerbaijani ecologists that the pollution level is high in the Armenian
part of the rivers flowing from Armenia to Azerbaijan. According
to him, in particular, the Arax River is equally polluted in the
territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan. He explained the high degree
of the river’s pollution in Armenia by the fact that Arax’s valley
is densely populated, while measures aimed at isolating the dumps,
solid waste and waste waters have not been taken. At the same
time, he noted that the Arax River’s pollution in Armenia has not
increased since the Soviet time. In the words of Volodya Narimanian,
deputy head of the the Water Resource Management Agency of the RA
Ministry of Nature Protection, the degree of man-caused pollution,
especially with municipal and household waste waters, is high in
Azerbaijan and Georgia as well. The main reason is that the waste
waters of settlements in these countries are not cleaned due to lack
of financial resources. V. Narimanian said that the level of natural
background pollution is high in Arax and many other rivers of Armenia,
particularly with copper and molybdenum combinations, since these
rivers are rapidly flowing ones and their beds pass through rocks with
a high content of these metals. In his opinion, Azerbaijani ecologists’
claims that the rivers flowing from Armenia are very polluted have no
grounds, especially as these rivers are rapidly flowing, thanks to
which they have a greater capacity of self-cleaning from biological
pollutants. Besides, Armenia has repeatedly proposed that the
situation related to the regional rivers’ pollution be assessed with
joint efforts of the South Caucasian countries, waste water treatment
capacities be launched with the assistance of donor organizations,
and only after that one of the three South Caucasian countries should
raise the problems related to additional pollution of these rivers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ARONIAN IS DEFEATED AT FINAL OF DARTMOUTH INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
DARTMOUTH, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The 19th class chess international
super tournament with participation of 8 most powerful grand masters of
the world finished in August 6 in Dartmouth. Levon Aronian from Armenia
lost the last 3 games after 4 uninterrupted drawn games. Kramnik and
Svidler got 4.5 points from 7 possible ones. Kramkin having higher
coefficients was recognized the winner.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN ANNOUNCES CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT TAX REVENUE STILL LAGS
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Aug. 8, 2006
By Emil Danielyan
Armenia’s economy is on track to expand at a double-digit rate for
a sixth consecutive year, earning the government in Yerevan more
praise from Western lending institutions. The Armenian authorities
say that growth may slow down in the coming years but will still be
strong enough to bring about a further drop in poverty and a sizable
increase in the still modest public spending.
Official macroeconomic data for the first half of this year show the
country’s gross domestic product increasing by almost 12% despite a
slight decrease in industrial output. Trade and Economic Development
Minister Karen Chshmaritian blamed the drop on July 26 on a continuing
downturn in the local diamond-cutting industry, which produces one of
Armenia’s key export items. He assured reporters that the impending
reactivation of two large industrial enterprises in Yerevan will
significantly boost the manufacturing sector in the second half.
The continuing robust growth has created additional inflationary
pressures on the economy, leading the Armenian Central Bank (CBA) to
twice raise its refinancing rate in recent months. The benchmark rate
is currently set at 4.25%, up from last January’s level of 3.5%. The
bank hopes that the new rate will help to keep inflation within a 3%
limit in 2006. The Armenian authorities say this growth is one of
the reasons for a renewed appreciation of the national currency, the
dram. It has gained more than 10% in value against the U.S. dollar
since January and is now worth 30% more, in dollar terms, than it
was in late 2004.
Western donors, notably the International Monetary Fund, have been
quick to heap more praise on Armenia. “Armenia’s economic performance
has been impressive in recent years: double-digit growth since 2001 in
an environment of low inflation; a strengthening external position;
a reduction in poverty; and, more recently, a notable improvement
in tax performance,” the IMF’s managing director, Rodrigo de Rato,
said during a late June visit to Yerevan. “The authorities have done a
commendable job in maintaining sound macroeconomic policies,” he added,
promising to reward them with $34 million in additional IMF loans.
“Even China is not achieving that sort of growth,” observed Jeroen
Kremers, another senior IMF official. The macroeconomic performance
also earned Armenia this summer its first-ever credit ratings by two of
the world’s leading risk-assessment companies. The BA2 and BB- grades
assigned to it by Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch, respectively,
indicate a medium-level of creditworthiness and a relatively high risk
of doing business. Armenian Finance Minister Vartan Khachatrian and
Tigran Sarkisian, chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, insisted
at a July 25 news conference that the ratings are quite high for an
ex-Soviet state and will facilitate foreign investment.
The Armenian economy shrank by half in 1992 and 1993 following
the Soviet collapse and the outbreak of the wars in Karabakh and
elsewhere in the South Caucasus. Its slow recovery began in 1994
and accelerated several years later, despite Azerbaijan and Turkey’s
continuing economic blockades of Armenia resulting from the unresolved
Karabakh conflict. Armenian growth has averaged nearly 12% since 2001,
according to official statistics endorsed by the IMF and the World
Bank. The real impact on living standards on the country has been a
matter of contention, however.
The Armenian government says the proportion of Armenians living below
the official poverty line fell from 56% to 34.6% between 1999 and
2005. But the picture is rather mixed on closer inspection. While
increased prosperity is visible in Yerevan (e.g., skyrocketing real
estate prices, proliferating cars, shops, and other small businesses),
many regions outside the Armenian capital have seen little development
over the past decade. The economic upswing has clearly not been
accompanied by the creation of a sufficient number of new jobs, with
some independent studies suggesting that unemployment may still be as
high as 30%. The uneven distribution of the benefits of growth also
manifests itself through massive tax evasion by Armenia’s wealthiest
citizens, many of them having close ties with the government.
Although the Armenian government’s tax revenues have been growingly
steadily and considerably, they still made up only 14.5% of GDP last
year, one of the lowest ratios in the former Soviet Union. President
Robert Kocharian’s top economic adviser, Vahram Nercissiantz, admitted
recently that the Armenian state budget, projected at just over $1
billion in 2006, should have been much bigger given the real volume
of economic activity in the country.
The Kocharian administration claims to be tackling the problem in
earnest. It has promised in particular to raise by 40% the salaries
of civil servants and schoolteachers as well as pensions in the
next three years. The pledge is part of the Armenian government’s
short-term economic outlook that predicts a GDP growth of at least 6%
a year from 2007 through 2009. Officials say Armenia’s GDP per capita
will rise from the current $1,600 to $2,300 as a result.
Fitch also offered a “stable outlook” for the Armenian economy in
a report released last June. But the Western credit rating firm
cautioned that the economy remains “vulnerable to shocks” due to a
low level of monetization and underdeveloped financial services. It
also said the authorities in Yerevan should do more to “strengthen
governance and the still relatively immature political system, as
well as reduce the high level of corruption.”
(Noyan Tapan, August 1; Azg, July 26-27; RFE/RL Armenia Report,
June 28, June 8; Hayots Ashkhar, June 20)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress