Author: Karabekian Emil

CHRISTIANS FIST FIGHT AT JERUSALEM’S HOLY SEPULCHRE

Reuters
April 20 2008

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A scuffle broke out at the traditional site of
Jesus’ burial on Sunday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian believers, who
fiercely protect their hold over sections of the shrine, traded blows.

Police said a fist-fight broke out after Armenian worshippers yanked
a Greek Orthodox cleric away from a tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection.

A spokesman said he did know the precise cause of the scuffle. Fights
are not uncommon among the representatives of Christian sects who
jealously guard their rights to parts of the centuries-old church.

"There is always tension there between the different sides," police
spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "That’s why police were on scene ahead
of time to prevent any arguments or disturbances from breaking out."

No injuries were reported but two Armenians were briefly detained.

Worshippers had gathered at the church in the Old City for Orthodox
Palm Sunday, when eastern churches celebrate Jesus’ entrance into
Jerusalem on a donkey. Western churches celebrated Palm Sunday and
Easter last month.

About 100 Armenians gathered at a Jerusalem police station to protest
the detention of the two men but were later dispersed.

DRAFT DOCUMENT ‘THE PRESENT STATE OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL TREASURES IN TURKEY’ PRESENTED TO PACE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

arminfo
2008-04-18 16:59:00

ArmInfo. Raffi K. Hovannisian, leader of the Heritage Party and its
faction in the National Assembly, took part from April 14 to 18 in
the second part of the 2008 plenary session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as a member of Armenia’s
parliamentary delegation.

The press-service of the Heritage Party reports that Raffi Hovannisian
addressed the Assembly on three occasions, the first regarding the
Progress Report of the PACE Bureau on the observation of the recent
Armenian and other elections; the second during the current affairs
debate on Implications of Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence; and
the third at the debate under urgent procedure on The Functioning of
Democratic Institutions in Armenia.

In the course of the PACE proceedings, the motion for a recommendation,
entitled "The Present State of Armenian Cultural Treasures in Turkey,"
coauthored by Raffi Hovannisian and 26 other MPs representing more than
20 member states was referred for information to the PACE Committee
on Culture, Science and Education. Hovannisian attended and addressed
the meetings of this Committee and its Sub-Committee on the Cultural
Heritage and the Sub-Committee on the Media; the Committee on the
Honouring of Obligations and Commitments of Member States of the
Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee); the Committee on Legal
Affairs and Human Rights and its Sub-Committee on Human Rights;
the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional
Affairs; and the Group of the European People’s Party and its Bureau of
which he is a member. He also held informal consultations with Edward
O’Hara, General Rapporteur on the Cultural Heritage, and several other
colleagues. From Strasbourg, Raffi Hovannisian will travel to Serbia
and Kosovo, where next week he will represent the Armenian delegation
in a NATO Parliamentary Assembly mission to the region.

37% OF YEREVAN RESIDENTS TO HAVE 24-HOUR WATER SUPPLY

ARKA
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, April 17. /ARKA/. The Yerevan-Jur Company plans to supply
with 37% of the capital’s residents with 24-hour water, said Serge
Popoff, company executive. He pointed out that over 53% of the Yerevan
residents will have 12-hour water supply in 2008.

According to Popoff, next year Yerevan-Jur will be ahead of the water
supply schedule fixed by the RA Public Services Regulatory Commission
(PSRC). The Company Executive promised 12-hour water supply to 58%
of the Yerevan residents in 2009.

Yerevan-Jur will make public the water supply schedule in early June.

By 2015, the Yerevan-Jur Company will control Yerevan’s water supply
system by managing the drinking water supply and whirlpool in the
capital, as well as in the regions of Ararat, Aragatsotn and Kotayk.

The Yerevan-Jur Company is Armenia’s resident. It was founded by the
Generale des Eaux Company, France, which won a WB-announced tender
in 2005.

The French company will allocate $20mln for the reconstruction of
the water supply system by the WB credit program. EUR 17.6 will be
secured from proceeds after approving new water tariffs. The company’s
own investments will total EUR 6.4mln.

NOT ONLY STATE SUBSIDIES BUT ALSO THEIR RATIONAL USE BY CITIZENS MAY WITHSTAND RISE IN PRICES FOR ELECTRICITY AND GAS

arminfo
2008-04-17 13:58:00

ArmInfo. Not only the state subsidies but also their rational use by
citizens may withstand the rise in prices for electricity and gas, RA
parliamentarian, "Prosperous Armenia" faction member Vardan Bostanjyan
told journalists today.

Talking of the government-envisaged population support, he recalled
that according to the statements, the tariffs for electricity and
gas in 2008 will remain unchanged. Moreover, it is also scheduled
to compensate the gas payments to 130,000 needy families of the
country. "There is also one important step more, which may be taken
by each of us without waiting for the state assistance. We can and
must consume electricity and water more savingly, otherwise it will
be impossible to acquire them at any price", V. Bostanjyan said.

ARMENIA NGOS CALL ON PACE NOT TO RECOGNIZE ELECTION RESULTS

Interfax News Agency
April 15 2008
Russia

A number of Armenian non-governmental organizations have sent an appeal
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) calling
on the organization not to recognize the results of the February 19
presidential election in the country.

"We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations, call on PACE
members to pass a resolution that would contribute to the resolution of
the most profound political crisis in the history of modern Armenia,"
the appeal says.

The authors of the document call on PACE to support their demands
to hold a free presidential election, an international investigation
into the events of March 1, the immediate release political prisoners,
and the restoration of the freedom of speech, press and assembly in
the country.

NGO activists are certain that only the fulfillment of these demands
will restore political stability in Armenia and "the legitimacy of
the presidency."

The agenda of the PACE spring session provides for the discussion of
the situation in Armenia following the presidential election.

On the morning of March 1 2008, police dispersed a rally in Yerevan,
but former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s supporters gathered
at another place near the city hall. By the evening of March 1, the
protests grew into a mass revolt, in which eight people were killed
and more than 200 injured, according to official reports. The same
day, President Robert Kocharian imposed a 20-day state of emergency
in the city.

The Armenian special investigative service opened a criminal case
into mass unrest. People arrested under this case have been indicted
for fomenting mass disorder, illegally storing or carrying weapons,
attempting to usurp power, and other crimes.

Seventy-eight participants in the riots are still in custody, 16 more
have signed a written pledge not to leave.

NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS OF RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ASSASSINATION OF HRANT DINK INCREASES BY FOUR

Noyan Tapan
April 15, 2008

WASHINGTON, APRIL 15, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. Resolution 102
condemning the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, the former editor-in-chief of the Agos weekly, gained additional
support as Representatives Michelle Bachmann, Charles Gonzales, Zack
Space and Tim Walberg signed on as the bill’s latest cosponsors,
bringing the current number of cosponsors to 59.

The Assembly-backed bill, introduced last January by Congressman
Joseph Crowley, condemns Dink’s murder and calls on Turkey to take
appropriate action to protect freedom of speech by repealing Article
301 of the Turkish penal code.

BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP OF YEREVAN STARTS

Noyan Tapan
April 14, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The basketball championship of the
city of Yerevan has started in the sports school of Shengavit. 26
teams of girls and boys born in 1992-95 are taking part in this
championship. The Nairi, Shengavit, Kentron, Politekhnik, Mkhitar
Sebastatsi, Arabkir, Arabkir KhM, Erebuni, KhMOM teams and that of
School 114 are taking part in the championship. According to the
information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Basketball Federation of
Armenia, the boys and girls included in the age groups will take part
in the championship by the circular contest rule during the coming
three months, contending for the title of the champion.

Hrachya Rostomian, the Chairman of the Federation, mentioned at the
solemn opening ceremony of the tournament that this was the first
joint program with the Committee of Sport and Youth Affairs of the
Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) party. According to him,
a similar championship will be organized also in regions in the near
future and 24 teams with 240 sportsmen will take part in it.

HAYASTAN FUND GIVES FURNISHING ACCESSORIES OF OVER 27 MILLION DRAMS TO 8 SCHOOLS

Noyan Tapan
April 14, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has
finished the furnishing program of schools in the Art school of
Parakar, School 10 of Abovian, Schools 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Artik,
the secondary school of Khndzoresk and School 78 of Yerevan. According
to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Public Relations
Department of the Fund, those programs have been initiated and financed
by the local body of France of the fund. In general, furnishing
accessories of 27 million 240 049 thousand drams (approximately 87.8
thousand U.S. dollars) have been given to those schools.

UNIBANK MAKES CREDITS FOR CAR PURCHASE MORE AVAILABLE

arminfo
2008-04-14 13:22:00

ArmInfo. Unibank improved the terms on autocrediting, the bank’s
press-release reads. Prepayment for purchase of a new car has been
reduced to 8% of the car cost against the previous 15%. The credit
repayment term has been increased by 1 year to 7 years. Autocredits are
extended at 16% per annum, the maximum credit amount makes up 50 mln
drams. Upon the results of 1Q, the bank- extended autocredits totaled
1,7 bln drams. As Director of Autocrediting Department D.Makartichan
said, the quarter indicator exceeded the similar indicator, 2007,
three tomes.

According to the data of Ranking of RA commercial banks, prepared
by the "Agency of Rating Marketing Information" (ArmInfo), "Unibank"
entered the five of leaders on autocrediting, upon the results, 2007.

The credits extended in security of cars and for purchase of cars
over 2007 made up 4,6 bln drams.

ARMENIAN PREMIER TIGRAN SARKISYAN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEAD THE COALITION, REPRESENTATIVES OF HERITAGE PARTY FACTION THINK

arminfo
2008-04-11 14:16:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Premier Tigran Sarkisyan will not be able to lead
the coalition, representatives of Heritage party faction expressed
such a view during the regular briefings at National Assembly.

Secretary of the Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan said that in the
political sense Tigran Sarkisyan is not a strong functionary. ‘I
think he will not be able to lead all the political forces that enter
the acting coalition’, – he said. Representative of the Heritage
party faction Larisa Alaverdyan said that Tigran Sarkisyan is not an
"authority".

For his part, deputy chairman of Orinats Yerkir party, deputy of
the National Assembly Mher Shakhgeldyan said that Tigran Sarkisyan
has already proved by his activity that he can work is a systemized
way. ‘I think he is professional in his work, and he will do his best’,
– Shakhgeldyan said.

Head of ARF Dashnaktiutyun faction Hrayr Karapetyan said that as
an economist Tigran Sarkisyan is "on a high level". For her part,
representative of Prosperous Armenia party faction Naira Zohrabyan
treats the new prime minister calmly. ‘If the parliamentary majority
made such a decision, we have nothing to do but to agree and work
with him’, – she said.

For his part, the member of the TPA party faction Rafik Petrosyan
said that Tigran Sarkisyan will be able to lead the government. He
also added that Tigran Sarkisyan was appointed the prime minister
thanks to his professionalism. Moreover, international structures
also accepted him.