Author: Hovhannisian John

ARMENIA’S DEFENCE EXPENDITURES GROW BY 19.5% IN JANUARY-MAY, 2007, COMPARED WITH SAME PERIOD OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
Jul 24, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Expenditures of 32bn 170.8m drams out of
budget expenditures of 182bn 993.4m drams (more than 509.6m USD) done
in January-May, 2007, were done in the defence sphere, which exceeds
the index of the same period of the previous year by 19.5%. The ratio
of defence expenditures to RA GDP made 4.7% in January-April, 2007,
as compared with the same months of 2006.

According to the data of the RA National Statistical Service, budget
expenditures done in the spheres of observance of public order,
national security, and justice made 14bn 553.3m USD, which exceeds
the index of the same period of the previous year by 7.9%, and their
ratio to GDP made 2.1% in the first five months of 2007 against 2.2%
of the previous year.

Expenditures done in the sphere of education and science made 31bn
605.8m drams (the growth made 21.9%, as compared with the same
period of the previous year) and their ratio to GDP reached 4.6%
from 4.3%. 24bn 674.6m drams was spent in social insurance and social
security spheres (growth 23.6%), the ratio of which to GDP reached
from 3.3% to 3.6% and in the health sphere 14bn 23.9m drams (growth
16.2%), the ratio of which to GDP has remained unchanged, 2%.

Funds of 9bn 418m drams were spent in transport, road maintenance and
communication sphere in January-May, 2007. They decreased by 1.3%. The
ratio of these expenditures to GDP decreased from 1.6% to 1.4%.

UNOFFICIAL GAME OF ARMENIAN AND IRANIAN JUDO NATIONAL TEAMS FINISHES WITH ARMENIAN TEAM’S VICTORY

Noyan Tapan
Jul 23, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Judo Championship
finished on July 22 at the Kilikia training ground. Artur Srapian
(60 kg, Gyumri), Mesrop Barbarian (66 kg, Hrazdan), Robert Vardanian
(73 kg, Yerevan), Armen Ispirian (81 kg, Yerevan), Hakob Arakelian
(90 kg, Yerevan), Haroutiun Gharibian (heavyweight, Yerevan), Zhanna
Vardanian (48 kg, Yerevan), Zarine Karakhanova (52 kg, Yerevan),
and Anush Hakobian (57 kg, Nor Hachn) gained the title of the champion.

After the end of the championship the unofficial game of Armenian and
Iranian national teams finished with the score of 13 to 6 in favor
of Armenia.

WINDSURFING CLUB BUILT ON SEVAN LAKESIDE OPENS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 23, 2007

SEVAN, JULY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian, on July
21, took part in the opening of the Windsurfing (water sports)
Club built on Sevan lakeside with the funds of the Hayastan All
Armenian Fund. "To have such a wonderful lake and not to develop
this kind of sport is just a crime," the President said adding:
"Besides windsurfing, we will try to purchase sports sailing vessels,
and the club will be a center for development of sailing vessels kinds
of sports in general." R. Kocharian gave assurance that the club no
doubt can be attractive for tourists. According to the President,
one or two centers of that kind of sport will be opened on Sevan
lakeside in one year or two.

According to Vahe Aghabekian, the Executive Director of Hayastan
All Armenian Fund, the structure, including the furniture and sports
equipment, required investments of 250-260m drams and work of nearly
seven months. It was mentioned that the construction measures are not
over yet: basket-ball and tennis playing grounds, a number of other
constructions will be also built, thanks to which the structure will
become a full-value sports complex.

Armen Grigorian, the RA Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, said that
the newly built base completely corresponds to international standards:
international competitions can be held there, including Europe and
world championships. And Mher Tovmasian, the club Director, said that
not only sportsmen, but also any one who wants can train at the club.

RA PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAGORNO KARABAGH BAKO SAHAKIAN

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 23 2007

RA President Robert Kocharian congratulated President-elect of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabagh Bako Sahakian.

According to the information DE FACTO received at RA President’s Press
Office, the congratulatory message runs, in part: "Dear Mr. Sahakian,
I congratulate you on the occasion of your election as President
of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh. I am confident that under your
leadership and in strong cooperation with other branches of power and
through the efforts of the people of Artsakh the economic and political
development of NKR will continue. I believe that you will adopt new
approaches to solve the problems faced by the Republic and its people.

The elections that have taken place testify to the accomplished
state building, anchored on the principles of democracy. They also
testify to the irreversibility of the Nagorno Karabagh’s existence,
which has become historical reality.

I wish you successful work for the benefit for Artsakh and its people."

ARMENTEL STARTS RENDERING GPRS SERVICE TO EASY CARD HOLDERS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 23 2007

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. The ArmenTel Company has started rendering
GPRS-service to Easy Card holders.

The ArmenTel CJSC reports that the new service includes GPRS-Internet
and GPRS-WAP services, which provides the subscribers with Internet
access at any point of covering by ArmenTel.

The monthly payment for the GPRS-service is AMD 360 (about $1). The
traffic prices are AMD 90 for 1MB of data transmitted by GPRS-Internet
and AMD 30 for 10MB by GPRS-WAP.

To activate this service a subscriber has to call 0674 and following
the instructions, or send an SMS to this number or call 0674-09181.

By the end of 2006, ArmenTel had had 608,500 users of stationary
telephone communication, and 452,000 users of cellular telephone
communication.

GEORGIA TO LAUNCH LANGUAGE TRAINING COURSE FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES

ARMENPRESS
Jul 18, 2007

TBILISI, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: Bad command of the Georgian language
should not become "an insuperable barrier" for ethnic minorities
to enroll in Georgia’s universities, Georgian president Saakashvili
said today.

According to Georgian news agencies, while speaking at a government
session Saakashvili said a special state program envisages bringing
hundred ethnic Armenians and hundred ethnic Azerbaijanis from
Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions, respectively, at
preparatory courses, which will help them to then enroll in the
universities.

He said it was not a fault of ethnic minorities that they do not
speak Georgian well.

"This is because of the fact that we [the authorities] were not
well-organized… I want to emphasize that the minorities urge us to
teach them the Georgian language," Saakashvili said.

Alluding to the fact that most of ethnic minority youth prefer to
enroll in universities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, or Russia, Saakashvili
said it was very important to create conditions wherein "our citizens
acquire knowledge not abroad, but in the capital and other cities
of Georgia.

In its report last year, the Brussels-based think-tank International
Crisis Group outlined the inability to speak the state language as
"the minorities’ biggest problem.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

17-07-2007

Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetian
answers a question from Itar-Tass Press Agency on the CFE Treaty

Q: How would you comment on Russia’s decision to suspend its participation
in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe?

A: Armenia perceives the CFE Treaty as a key factor in security transparency
and an important balancing mechanism in and around Europe. It has proven its
efficacy in the 15 years of its existence. Since coming into effect, the
Treaty has been a very potent tool in controlling the arms race in Europe.

So long as we still have 150 days during which Russia remains a State Party
to the Treaty, we can only express hope that the issues among the States
Parties will be settled through dialogue. Armenia is ready to hold
consultations with all CFE States Parties states on this issue.

TURKEY OPPOSES ARMENIAN POLL IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

New Anatolian, Turkey
July 17 2007

Turkey announced its strong opposition to the proposed elections by
Armenia in occupied Nagorno Karabakh.

A foreign ministry statement said: We learned that so-called
"Presidential Election" in the Armenian occupied Nagorno Karabagh
region of Azerbaijan, is to be held on July 19, 2007, subsequent to
the "Constitutional Referendum" held in the same region in a similar
vein on December 10, 2006, in contravention to international law and
disregarding the will of the international community.

It said Turkey views the electiobn as part of the efforts to
unilaterally legitimize the unlawful situation in Nagorno Karabagh, and
says this is an explicit violation of the principles of international
law, UN Security Council Resolutions and the OSCE principles.

It said the Nagorno Karabagh conflict constitutes the most important
impediment for establishing peace, stability and cooperation in
the South Caucasus and it prevents the creation of an environment
conducive to good neighbourliness and cooperation among the countries
in the region. "At a time when the negotiations are pursued within
the OSCE Minsk Process to reach a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict and the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute, organizing
a "Presidential Election" in the occupied Nagorno Karabagh region
obviously constitutes an initiative that challenges the efforts geared
towards a peaceful resolution."

The statement said "with these considerations, Turkey denounces this
renewed effort of Armenia to violate Azerbaijan’s political unity,
sovereignty and territorial integrity; and will not recognize the
outcome of such illegitimate "Presidential Elections" that would have
no binding effect whatsoever under international law."

`World-class’ UW violinist Vartan Manoogian dies
July 13, 2007
by _Richard Mumford_ (mailto:[email protected])

Vartan Manoogian, professor of violin at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison _School of Music_ () ,
died on Thursday, July 12, in Spain. He was 71.

Manoogian was born in Baghdad to Armenian parents and studied at the
Paris Conservatory beginning at the age of 16. He earned a master’s
degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied violin with Ivan
Galamian and chamber music with members of the Juilliard String
Quartet.

Manoogian served as associate concertmaster of the Lausanne Chamber
Orchestra and later as concertmaster of L’Orchestre de la Suisse
Romande, directed by Ernest Ansermet. He was artist in residence at
the North Carolina School of the Arts and a member of the Claremont
String Quartet before joining the UW-Madison faculty in 1980.

Manoogian’s interests covered a broad spectrum of repertoire, artistic
collaboration and pedagogy. His studio at the School of Music
encompassed freshmen through doctoral students, many of whom became
successful teachers, chamber musicians and members of professional
orchestras. He was the artistic director of the Madeline Island Music
Camp in northern Wisconsin, responsible for hiring the faculty and
planning each season, and had performed there with cellist Christopher
French and UW faculty pianist Christopher Taylor on June 27.

He was the author of the four-volume Foundations of Violin Technique,
published in both English and Spanish. In 2004, he recorded the
complete sonatas and partitas for solo violin by J. S. Bach, a
two-disc set sold through the School of Music’s online CD store. And
he maintained active associations in Spain, where he traveled most
summers to teach and perform.

Tyrone Greive, professor of violin and concertmaster of the Madison
Symphony Orchestra, joined the school’s faculty in 1979 and served on
the search committee that culminated with the appointment of Manoogian
in 1980. Greivesays of his colleague: "His artistry and personality
touched many students, colleagues, audiences and others through his
teaching and performing at the university, as well as locally,
statewide, nationally and internationally. He will be greatly missed
by many."

Janet Jensen, professor of string pedagogy and a member of the
school’s faculty since 1992, says "Professor Manoogian brought
international statureand world-class artistry to our campus. His
passion for excellence in teaching and performance attracted many
wonderful students, to whom he was totally committed-not just while
they were in school, but through their continuing study and careers as
well. He was the consummate artist-teacher, and his influence will be
measured internationally and generationally. We have lost a treasured
colleague and friend, and the world has lost one of its most beautiful
voices."

© 2007 Board of Regents of the _University of Wisconsin System_
()

KAREN NALBANDIAN AND ARARAT TCHAGHARIAN, REFEREES FROM YEREVAN, TO ATTEND TO MATCHES OF UEFA’S PROGRAM

Noyan Tapan
Jul 12 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Karen Nalbandian (Yerevan), the chief
referee of FIFA, will conduct the match between Macedonia Pobeda and
Estonia Levadia of the first qualification stage of the UEFA’s Champion
League. Ararat Tchagharian, the referee of FIFA, who is also from
Yerevan, will attend to the match of Israel Mackkab and Andorra Santa
Koloma in the first qualification stage of the UEFA Cup Tournament.