Author: Nalbandian Eduard

180 ROADS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED IN YEREVAN IN 2008

ARKA
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Construction activities will be carried out
on 180 Yerevan streets (330,000 sq/m), said Deputy Mayor of Yerevan
Vano Vardanyan.

This time too, 15% of construction activities concern removing cracks
on roads, according to the Deputy Mayor.

The team of workers will first of all close road gaps and only after
this they will pass on to asphalting.

Construction has been launched on Leningradyan and Shirak streets
and will continue on Hrazdan Street, according to Vardanyan.

He pointed out that AMD 70mln is annually allocated for bridge
servicing.

The bridge on Atcharyan-Myasnikyan crossroads is now being
reconstructed.

The Deputy Mayor attached importance to strengthening of trestle
bridges on Yerevan-Sevan highway.

Water bodies in Yerevan also need capital reconstruction, according
to Vardanyan. "We have launched activities on the Swan Lake," he said.

"The skating rink is being reconstructed now." The Deputy Mayor stated
that the Yerevan Lake will be cleaned soon.

GLASS STRUCTURE TO BE SURFACED WITH NATIVE ARMENIAN STONE TO BE BUILT IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In a
public hearing convened on March 27, the Historic Preservation Review
Board (HPRB), which is charged with responsibility for the protection,
enhancement and perpetuation of properties of historical, cultural
and aesthetic merit in the District of Columbia, in unanimous vote
gave concept approval for the Armenian Genocide Museum of America
(AGMA). The plans call for restoring the exterior of the historical
bank building, modifying the interior to accommodate the museum
exhibits, and building a new glass structure next to the historic bank,
which will be surfaced with native Armenian stone to complement the
bank building.

ACCORDING TO THEATRICAL FIGURES, TITLES AND AWARDS ARE GIVEN ACCORDING TO PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND NOT TO THEIR DESERTS

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The International Day of Theater
which is marked in the whole world on March 27, is also marked in
Armenia in recent years. It is a professional festival and it is
not obligatory to be celebrated by the whole nation. Ruben Babayan,
the Art Director of Hovh.

Tumanian State Puppet Theater, expressed such an opinion on March 27
at the meeting held in the Friday club.

The representatives of Yerevan Hrachya Ghaplanian State Dramatic and
H. Paronian Music Comedy Theaters, who were present at the meeting,
said that the International Day of Theater is just an occasion and
an opportunity to once again speak about the sphere’s ups and downs.

According to Dramatic theater actor Hrachya Haroutiunian, today such
people speak about theater who are far from it. He considers that
the situation in the theater considerably differs from the opinion
about it voiced by TV.

"Today there is an absolute lack of theater science: we cannot
hear professional speech and opinion about theater’s problems and
performances anywhere," he said.

R. Babayan in his turn said that the theater science has disappeared
after we have begun to criticize the opinion of theater scientists
and appeared in the state of desertification when in this sphere we
should start everything from zero".

H. Paronian Music Comedy Theater Director Karo Shahbazian touched upon
the sad condition of the theater. As a result of not being heated the
theater company does not have performances 6 months a year, which,
according to him, has a negative impact on the creative activity of
the theater company.

The guests also touched upon the annual theatrical Artavazd award
giving ceremony which is held by the Union of Theatrical Figures of
Armenia and the state titles given to theater figures mentioning that
they cannot have an essential role for the activity of a creator,
in this case for an actor or producer. They are convinced that the
titles and awards are given "according to personal attitude and not
to their deserts."

NOVRUZ MAMMADOV: "AZERBAIJAN HAS NOT AN OFFICIAL POSITION ON REFUSING OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS"

Azeri Press Agency
March 26 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. "Azerbaijan has
not an official position on refusing OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs",
said Head of foreign relations department of the president’s office
Novruz Mammadov in his interview to APA.

According to him, Armenian side has spread such
information. N. Mammadov said Armenians had special purposes in
this issue. Official of the president’s office stated that the works
carried out by the co-chairs to date could be discussed.

It should be emphasized that Armenian Press has spread information on
Azerbaijan’s refusing the cooperation with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
quoting American Co-chair of Minsk Group Matthew Bryza’s interview
to US-based "Armenian Reporter" newspaper.

However, there is not any question or answer on Azerbaijan’s
cooperation with OSCE MG in an internet site of the newspaper.

French Co-chair of Minsk Group Bernard Fassier told APA that he was
not aware of the aforesaid issue.

OSCE Headquarter told APA that they had not received any letter fro
Azerbaijan on refusing the mediation of OSCE Minsk Group.

It should be noted that OSCE MG countries United States, France
and Russia voted against the resolution recognizing Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and demanding Armenian forces’ withdrawal from
occupied territories at the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly.

VIOLONIST HAROUTIUN BEDELIAN TO HAVE CONCERT IN NICOSIA

Noyan Tapan
March 25, 2008

The Concert by Haroutiun Bedelian (Violin) and Lorna Griffitt (Piano)
will be held in the PASYDY Auditorium of Nicosia on April 16. As the
local community informs, the programme will include works by J.S Bach,
Brahms, Webern and Schumann.

MAYOR OF MOSCOW: ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS DEVELOP IN THE SPIRIT OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

arminfo
2008-03-24 20:33:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister, newly-elected President Serzh
Sargsyan met Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov during his visit to Moscow,
Monday.

The Armenian governmental press-service told ArmInfo that this meeting
was held within the frames of a meeting with Deputy Chairman of Russian
Government Dmitry Medvedev. According to the source, Luzhkov expressed
content with the fact that a delegation headed by Serzh Sargsyan is
a guest of the Russian capital. Luzhkov congratulated Sargsyan on his
victory at the presidential election in Armenia. The Mayor of Moscow
stressed that the Armenian-Russian relations are developing in the
spirit of strategic partnership, and Moscow plays an important role
in these relations. For his part, Sargsyan thanked Luzhkov for warm
reception and presented the domestic political situation of Armenia.

The parties pointed to the dynamic development of Armenian-Russian
trade-economic relations. Luzhkov pointed out that in the last years
the trade turnover between Armenia and Russia has substantially grown
and the House of Moscow in Yerevan has a big contribution to this
growth. Luzhkov told Sargsyan about the present economic state of
Moscow and its development programs. He pointed out the importance
of the opening of a big Armenian wholesale trade in Moscow and the
regular conduct of Golden Pomegranate fair in Yerevan. The parties
agreed to set up in Moscow an Armenia companys for processing and
sale of agricultural products.

The parties also discussed their cultural relations. Luzhkov pointed
out the importance of early completion of the construction of Armenian
Church Complex in Moscow. Sargsyan said that he had visited the
site and expressed hope that the project would be finished in the
near future.

NEGOTIATIONS OVER QUOTAS OF POSTS BETWEEN COALITION FORCES IN GOVERNMENT STILL UNDERWAY

Noyan Tapan
March 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The negotiations over the quotas of
posts in the government due to RPA, Bargavach Hayastan, Orinats Yerkir
and ARFD, which have signed the agreement on creation of a political
coalition, are still underway on March 21. Naira Zohrabian, a member of
the National Assembly Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) faction,
said at the press briefing held the same day. Not mentioning the
name of any of the circulated candidates for Prime Minister’s post,
nevertheless she expressed an opinion that "in this period a person
is to be RA Prime Minister, who has a serious experience of state
government and will be also able with his human traits to systematize
the work of the forces making a quadrilateral coalition."

"Coalition is cooperation of several individual political forces,
during which each of them preserves its individual peculiarities,
but tries to find the common field, where they can work, and the
art of compromise should work seriously here," Hermine Naghdalian,
a member of the RPA faction, expressed such an opinion. In her words,
certainly, there will be disagreements, but the coalition parties will
try to find "the way of continuing the joint work" as far as possible.

In response to NT correspondent’s question of whether by creation of
a coalition with such a large format the parliament will not suffer in
the respect of plurality, the deputy from RPA said: "I think you have
also made sure that our partner political forces nevertheless never
keep silence and have never missed the chance of a different mind or
expressing their own opinion, even if it was beyond agreements."

ACCORDING TO MHER SHAHGELDIAN, IN COALITION MEMORANDUM ISSUE OF RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICAL FORCES HAVING SIGNED IT DISTINCTLY MENTIONED

Noyan Tapan
March 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. In the coalition memorandum signed
between four parliamentary parties on March 21 the political priorities
of the forces, which have signed it, are stipulated. The most important
among these priorities are the elimination of the domestic political
tension in the country and provision of stability. This statement was
made by Mher Shahgeldian, the Deputy Chairman of the Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) Party, on the same day.

According to him, the current memorandum essentially differs from
a similar document signed by the Republican, ARF and Orinats Yerkir
parties before in terms of contents. In particular, it concerns the
reforms to be implemented in the economic and social spheres. The issue
of the responsibility of all the four political forces is distinctly
mentioned in the document. As regards the distribution of portfolios in
the staff of the future government, according to Mher Shahgeldian, no
discussions have been conducted concerning this question and the third
document about this will be signed after corresponding negotiations.

Mher Shahgeldian mentioned that making use of the domestic political
situation of Armenia, Azerbaijan took steps in three directions. They
were: the attack upon the Armenian posts in the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh, the attempts of change of the format of the OSCE Minsk Group,
and the adoption of the resolution presented by it in the United
Nations. Irrespective of the fact that the main states involved
in the Karabakh regulation process voted against this resolution,
Orinats Yerkir estimates as negative the circumstance that the GUAM
member countries have voted for. According to Mher Shahgeldian, it
is time that Armenia displays a distinct position on the occasion
of these events and the Orinats Yerkir is going to come up with a
corresponding initiative.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WARNED OF POSSIBLE AID SUSPENSION TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2008 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ambassador John J. Danilovich, Chief Executive
Officer for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, has sent a letter
to warn of possible suspension of aid to Armenia, President Robert
Kocharian told a news conference today.

"Of course, we would not like the program to be frozen but if the
If the U.S. takes the decision, Armenia will anyway implement its
plans with assistance of other organizations, particularly, the Lincy
Foundation, Hayastan All-Armenian Fund and other donors. Although,
the U.S. has not arrived at a decision yet," he said.

Asked to comment on absence of a congratulatory message from
U.S. President George W. Bush on Serzh Sargsyan’s election President of
Armenia, Mr Kocharian said, "It’s not surprising. In 2003, I received a
congratulatory address on April 10, after the inauguration. And, after
all, we do not hold elections to be approved or disapproved by anyone."

ARMENIA AMENDS LAW ON RALLIES TO PREVENT REPLAY OF MARCH UNREST

Interfax News Agency
March 19 2008
Russia

Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed into law amendments
to the law regulating the organization of rallies, processions,
and demonstrations on last Tuesday, the presidential press service
told Interfax.

The amendments came into effect immediately.

The parliament had passed the bill at an extraordinary session early
on Tuesday.

The amendments stipulate that public events can be banned if there is
reliable information that they may be aimed at forcibly overthrowing
the government, fuelling ethnic, racial, or religious enmity, or
propagating violence or war, or if such events could harm state
security, public order, morality, or public health or can violate
people’s constitutional rights and freedoms.

The law says that such information can be considered reliable if
the National Security Service presents an official conclusion on
this account.

The law also stipulates that, if a public event has turned into
mass unrest involving the loss of life, an authorized body can
temporarily ban any mass public events to prevent new crimes until the
circumstances of this crime and its perpetrators have been established.