Author: Karagyozian Lena

Georgian president denies new youth camp is military base

Channel 1, Tbilisi
26 May 07

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has denied reports that a newly
established youth camp was a military base.
Speaking at the opening ceremony for the Patriotic Youth Camp in the
village of Ganmukhuri, near the border of the self-declared republic
of Abkhazia on 26 May, Saakashvili said: "I would like to address
those high-ranking diplomats who said that this camp of peace and
friendship was a military base and military infrastructure… Here
they are looking from binoculars and see that there is nothing
military here."
Saakashvili said that the camp was open to people of all
ethnicities. "I would like to tell everybody that this is not a camp
for ethnic Georgians [only]. Unlike some politicos, Georgians do not
think in ethnic terms. Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Jews, Greeks,
Ossetians, Tskhinvali Ossetians will come and rest here. And,
certainly, we are inviting the Abkhaz from Sukhumi, Gagra, Ochamchire
and Gudauta. The reason is that I want them to see that Georgia,
their homeland, is a multiethnic country, composed of people of a
variety of faiths."
Saakashvili added: "Ethnic Abkhaz have a unique chance to preserve
their identity and self-awareness within the multiethnic, democratic
and pluralistic Georgia which will be a guarantor of their autonomous
development and the preservation of their self-government and
uniqueness."

RIA OREANDA , Russia
Economic News
May 25, 2007 Friday

EBRD Extends Credit Line to Anelik Bank (Armenia)

Armenia. OREANDA-NEWS . May 21, 2007. The EBRD is extending a 5
million credit line to Armenias Anelik Bank to support its on-lending
to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME). The credit line
will contribute to the Armenian banking system by delivering MSME
finance on a large and sustainable scale, reported the press-centre
of EBRD. Anelik, ranked 8th in the Armenian banking sector by total
assets, is a medium-sized bank which specialises in MSME lending and
money transfer business. It is dynamically growing and is now
expanding its business to offer a wider scope of retail products. The
EBRD loan will provide still lacking medium-term funding and will be
used for on-lending to local micro and small enterprises, addressing
a major constraint for the growth of this segment of the economy. The
credit line, the EBRDs fourth MSME line to Anelik, comes under the
Banks Armenian Multi-Bank Finance Facility. Anelik is one of the most
active EBRD partner banks under the Armenian Multi-Bank Finance
Facility and Armenia Microlending Programme, an institution-building
Technical Cooperation Programme designed to facilitate MSE lending of
partner banks. Technical Cooperation funds have been provided by
USAID and the EBRDs Early Transition Countries Multi-Donor Fund. The
EBRD remains one of key providers of medium-term finance and
expertise to the Armenian banking sector. This project will allow
smaller companies to receive swift access to reliable finance based
on their entrepreneurial skills and the success of their business,
said Olivier Descamps, EBRD Business Group Director, at the signing.

We are happy to continue our strong relationship with the EBRD with
this credit line, and, in general, with any potential projects in the
future, said Samvel Chzmachian, Chairman of the Board of Anelik Bank.
Through its micro and small enterprises programmes, the EBRD has
supported over one million small enterprises throughout eastern
Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The EBRD currently
works with over 70 commercial banks and non-bank microfinance
institutions to establish or expand specialised micro and small
business finance units and to date has lent over $1billion to
facilitate $15 billion in loans to micro and small businesses in the
region. Copyright (c) 1997-2007 RIA "OREANDA"

DANIEL FRIED DECLARED ABOUT "GOOD COOPERATION" BETWEEN THE US AND RUSSIA

ArmRadio.am
25.05.2007 12:32

US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried has declared about
the "good cooperation" between Russia and the United States on the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Mediamax reports.

The diplomat said this, making a report on Russia and Russian-American
relations at the Helsinki Commission of the US Congress.

Daniel Fried reminded that last spring he visited the region with his
colleagues from Russia and France "to present the basic principles
of peaceful settlement to the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan."

"Today these principles lay in the core of the negotiations between
the two parties. Accepting the fact that Armenia and Azerbaijan
carry the main burden of settlement, we continue to demonstrate that
the US and Russia can cooperate to ensure progress in the peaceful
settlement process, which will guarantee the stability and security
in the South Caucasus, and this corresponds to our mutual interests,"
Daniel Fried declared.

ZIMBABWE PUBLISHER WINS AWARD

The Southern African, Canada
May 25 2007

GENEVA – Zimbabwean newspaper publisher, Trevor Ncube, has been
awarded the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) Freedom Prize.

Ncube publishes one of South Africa’s leading newspapers, the Mail
and Guardian and owns Zimbabwe’s only independent titles; the business
weekly Zimbabwe Independent and the Sunday publication, The Standard.

Ana Maria Cabanellas, President of IPA, on Wednesday said: "Trevor
Ncube’s work as a publisher and his wholehearted support of freedom
of expression have often brought him into conflict with Zimbabwean
authorities and endangered his personal safety.

"Despite repeated threats of violence and attempts to strip him of his
Zimbabwean citizenship, Trevor Ncube’s newspapers have persistently
continued to expose corruption and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe,
thus encouraging healthy dissent and criticism both in the public
and private sectors."

Ncube will receive his award during the opening ceremony of the 2nd
Cape Town Book Fair on 15 June 2007.

On the same occasion, IPA will be awarding the "2007 IPA Freedom
Prize-Special Award" posthumously to slain journalists, Hrant Dink
of Turkey and Anna Politkovskaya of Russia.

Dink, a Turk of Armenian descent, was the editor-in-chief of the
Armenian-Turkish weekly newspaper Agos, which sought to provide a
voice for the Armenian community and create a dialogue between Turks
and Armenians.

In October 2006, he was convicted and given a six-month suspended
sentence for the crime of "insulting Turkishness" under Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code. On 19 January 2007, he was shot dead on
the street in front of his Istanbul office at the age of 52.

Anna Politkovskaya was the special correspondent for the Russian
newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, who documented the horrific crimes committed
in the war in Chechnya. She was also an outspoken critic of President
Vladimir Putin and of the Kremlin’s role in Chechnya.

She was shot and killed in her apartment building in Moscow on 7,
October 2006, the apparent victim of a contract killing. She was 48.

"The murders of Dink and Politkovskaya were vile. In giving them the
‘2007 IPA Freedom Prize-Special Award’, we rise to celebrate their
courage, their humanity, and their witness," said Bjørn Smith-Simonsen,
Chair of IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee.

"We rise to celebrate the free word in the face of oppressive
regimes. We also hope that this special award will remind the Russian
and Turkish authorities that full light must be shed on all the
aspects of these two cases."

–Boundary_(ID_GUPhXoliGJ63ocJ9tTR8R g)–

ARAM I CATHOLICOS CARRIES OUT OPENING OF LIBRARY AFTER CHEMBERJIAN BROTHERS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 24 2007

ANTELIAS, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Opening of the
Chemberjian library attached to the national primacy of the Berio
Diocese took place on May 22, headed by Aram I Catholicos. Consul of
Armenia Artur Mangasarian was also present with the secular officials.

Bishop Shahan Sargsian, the diocese primacy emphasized the importance
of this library attached to the national primacy. Bishop Shahan
expressed his gratitude to Chemberjian brothers, who willingly covered
the expenses of building of the library, giving 40 thousand dollars
for implementation of this program.

Aram I Catholicos made speech of his blessing and appreciation,
welcoming this nice event in life of the Armenians of Aleppo. On
this occasion the Patriarch touched upon the life-giving role
of the Armenian book in our cultural life and said that one must
not be satisfied only with printing Armenian books, but they must
especially be read to be communicated with our spiritual-mental
values. His Holiness Patriarch appreciated the benefactors as well
who being ambitious towards the Armenians’ life, support programs of
the national primacy on different occasions.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Catholicosate of the Great House
of Cilicia, during the patriarchal visit paid to Syria, His Holiness
Patriarch visited the library founded in Aleppo by Zaven Yekavian,
the Director of the Armenian Department of the Gulbenkian institution
as well and expressed his appreciation for that important cultural
initiative.

DEMIRCHIAN DID NOT MEET KOCHARIAN

A1+
[06:42 pm] 23 May, 2007

Today " Zhamanak-Yerevan" (Time- Yerevan) issued an article according
to which Republican Volodya Badalyan had arranged a meeting between
Stepan Demirchian and Robert Kocharian. During the meeting President
Kocharian advised Demirchian to run for the parliament alone and
Demirchian took the president’s advice, the newspaper reported.

"I haven’t seen Stepan Demirchyan for a long time. The rumors are
fabricated. This is an absolute nonsense," Volodya Badalyan told A1+.

Ruzan Khachatryan, a member to the People’s Party of Armenia, states
that the methods of black PR have been applied against the PPA for a
long time. "The authorities fully realise that our party is a mighty
force and enjoys people’s confidence. Therefore, they are doing
their utmost to denigrate the party. Only the methods have changed,
once denigration was realized through pro-governmental mass media,
now – through oppositional newspapers," Ruzan Khachatryan said.

CASHLESS PAYMENTS INCREASE 2.3FOLD IN ARMENIA IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2007 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
May 23 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. In the first quarter of 2007, the
total amount of cashless payments in the territory of Armenia made 2
trillion 265 billion drams (about 6 bln 269 mln USD), their number
– 689,999 payments, including payments of 2 trillion 250 billion
drams through payment systems of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA),
their number made 269,027. In the first quarter of 2007, the amount
of cashless payments grew 2.3fold or 1 trillion 271 billion drams on
the first quarter of 2006, while the number of payments grew 1.2fold
or 43,575 payments. The amount of transfers through the CBA payment
systems grew 1.4fold or 662 bln drams on the 4th quarter of 2006,
while their number declined by 9,654 (0.04fold).

The average daily amount of monetary transfers through the CBA payment
systems made about 35.1 bln drams, their number – 4,204. The average
daily amount of monetary transfers grew by 19.8 bln drams (their number
increased by 681) on the first quarter of 2006, including a growth
of 0.4 bln drams due to stock exchange operation-related transfers.

ARMENIAN OFFICER WOUNDED IN IRAQ HAS TREATMENT IN USA

ARMENPRESS
May 23 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: Defense minister Mikael Harutunian
said today the Armenian senior lieutenant Gevorg Nalbandian, who was
wounded while on duty in Iraq in 2006 November, is recuperating at
a US-based hospital.

Gevorg Nalbandian was wounded while on a mission to defuse mines. He
lost his leg in a roadside bomb explosion in which one Polish and one
Slovak soldier were killed in south-central Iraq. The bomb exploded
near the town of Al Kut in Wasit province as a multinational convoy
was returning to base. Another Polish soldier and Gevorg Nalbandian
were wounded in the attack and rushed to hospital by helicopter.

He was first transported to an American military hospital in Germany
for treatment and then to the USA.

The minister said today after recuperation Nalbandian will return to
Armenia to continue his service to the homeland. Harutunian said a
prosthesis was made for him, but he needs time to get adapted to it.

"We have also considered a number of positions which he can hold when
back home," the minister said.

NEARLY 50 THOUSAND LEAVERS TO FINISH ARMENIAN SCHOOLS THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Nearly 50 thousand leavers will finish
1417 comprehensive schools of Armenia in 2006-2007 schoolyear. 12031
of the leavers are from Yerevan. School state final examinations will
be held on June 1-20.

As Narine Hovhannisian, Head of General Education Department of RA
Ministry of Education and Science, said in her interview to Noyan
Tapan correspondent, this year a change has been made only in the
examination list of 8th form: three subjects were added – History of
Armenia, Natural Science (a pupil may choose one of these subjects:
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography) and Physical Culture. This
change, in the words of head of the department, was made within the
framework of Conception of Giving Marks to Pupils approved in 2005.

Eight-form pupils will write a reproduction on Armenian Language. They
will take exams on another two subjects, Foreign Language and
Mathematics, as before.

N. Hovhannisian said that no changes have been made in examination
subjects of ten-form pupils: they will also take 6 exams on the same
subjects like eight-form pupils.

On June 1, ten-form pupils will take examination on the subject
Armenian Language and Literature by final and united versions,
by tests made up by the Center for Giving Marks and Testing of RA
Ministry of Education and Science. On June 4, written examination
will be organized by the order established by Ministry of Education
and Science on Mathematics and on June 11, on Natural Science (one
of the following subjects – Physics, Chemistry and Biology).

Head of General Education Department Narine Hovhannisian also said
that this year ten-form pupils will not take a separate exam on
Armenian Literature.

Only schoolleavers taking part in Armenian Language and Literature
exam being held jointly as a final exam and entrance exam will take
an exam on that subject.

Third-form pupils will take two written exams, on Armenian Language
and Mathematics subjects on days fixed by RA Ministry of Education
and Science, in the period of June 1-5.

THREE OF ARMENIAN SPORTSMEN BECAME PRIZE-WINNERS AT EUROPE SAMBO YOUTH AND JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Europe Youth and Juvenile Sambo
Championships finished on May 20 in Latvia. 15 sportsmen took part
in it from Armenia.

Manik Matevosian (40 kg, Artashat) took the second place in the
Juvenile Tournament. Hmayak Papikian (48 kg, Gyumri) and Andranik
Naghdalian (62 kg, Abovian) became third prize-winners in the youth
competition.