Author: Talalian Arpi

KOBZON AND LUZHKOV ARE GREATER FACTORS THAN OUR POLITICAL FIGURES

Lragir/am
22 March 06

On March 22 the present and future of Russian-Armenian relations
were discussed at the National Press Club. Seven out of the eight
participants of the debate were representatives of the opposition:
Shavarsh Kocharyan, Aram Gaspari Sargsyan, Hrant Khachatryan, Hovanes
Hovanisyan, Aram Karapetyan, Manuk Gasparyan, Aram Manukyan. The only
representative of the government at the debate of Russia-Armenia
relations was Giro Manoyan, member of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, citizen of the United States.

The speeches of the speakers of the day had much in common. All of
them thought that the Russian-Armenian relations are far from being
normal or satisfactory; the present government of Armenia is to blame;
it is urgent to get rid of emotionality and build relations on a
pragmatic base.

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN: “There is a lack of mutual understanding in the
relations of Armenia and Russia, because life in Armenia leads to
democracy, and Russia remains a defender of authoritarian regimes. The
Russian Federation is dissatisfied with the course of European
integration, pursued by Armenia, and would like to see Armenia as a
country like Belarus. But we need not fall into the other extreme,
Russia is still a factor. We must not give up our course towards
democracy.”

HOVANES HOVANISYAN: “It has been a long time that the Russian-Armenian
relations are not normal; these are relations of elder and little
brothers or a powerful state and its fort. Our strategic partnership
is a mere document, and the Russian Federation excellently carries
on with the domineering policy of the Soviet Union and backs
regimes. Putin supports the Uzbek regime that has killed several
thousands of people. The Russian Federation is far from democracy. To
set European integration against relations with the Russian Federation
is to destroy something that has not been born yet. And the Moldavian
model (the pro-Russian communist leadership became pro-West, faithful
to European values – ed.) will not repeat in Armenia.”

ARAM MANUKYAN: “Our partners at the Karabakh war now say, you are
aggressors, and it is the fault of the government. The Russian-Armenian
relations are in a crisis. Today’s government has lost not only
the present but also the morrow. The next government, no matter
how democratic it will be, will face serious problems in the sphere
of energy. The government will be at a loss. In Armenia Kobzon and
Luzhkov are greater factors than we gathered here. Their hands are
longer and they have influence in politics. The junk Russian weapons
were taken out of Armenia without taking into consideration the opinion
of Armenia. The government of Russia conducts a policy of enslaving the
country and people. We have become something attached to Russia in all
aspects. The Russian Federation is a factor. Even the wounded bear is
dangerous. However, the wounded bear is bleeding, becoming weaker day
by day due to its anti-democratic activity. It is necessary to have
relations with Russia. I endorse strategic relations; I am against
building them at the expense of our independence and decision making.”

ARAM G. SARGSYAN: “Russian-Armenian relations should be viewed in the
context of the geopolitical situation. Our relations would be better
if Armenia had a doctrine of these relations. We are treated as a slave
because we allow others to treat us as a slave. Russia controls 80 per
cent of our energy sector, which surprises even some political sets
of Russia. The Russian Federation possesses information to coerce our
government. Our course must be determined by the interests of national
security. Our orientation must not bring about dependence from another
country. The Russian Federation conducts an economic policy favorable
for its country and increases the price of gas supplied to Armenia.”

ARAM KARAPETYAN: “There is no slavery in Armenia yet. The slavery of
the government does not refer to people. The reality says one thing:
you will not achieve anything in Russian-Armenian relations by hitting
your forehead against the wall. Can Armenia guarantee its national
security without the Russian military bases? If it could, it would
not sign an agreement with the Russian Federation in 1993. If you do
not take into consideration these factors, you are either an utopist
or an adventurer. The present government have used every factor in
the world. The program of Property for Debt was a political trick.

The Diaspora and the Karabakh issue are enough for establishing
neighborly relations. The United States will not mind.”

GIRO MANOYAN: “Strategic partnership is not agreeing to everything. We
have signed an agreement of strategic cooperation for twenty-five years
and we will go all the way. The Russian Federation has to fulfill its
duties. We are not confined to this partnership; we are free to find
other possibilities. In strategic partnership the strong party always
tries to dominate, which is not acceptable. To change our direction
for the price of gas only is not serious.

It does not matter if you are pro-Russian, pro-American or
pro-European. You have to be strong not to become a toy. And democracy
is the way to be strong.”

MANUK GASPARYAN: “Our government is to blame for the Russian-Armenian
relations, which are becoming worse. Our government allowed
the government of Russia to become that brazen. We must organize
hearings with the interested forces of Armenia and Russia and make
our relations clear.”

HRANT KHACHATRYAN: “Russian-Armenian relations are going through
a new stage of trial. The world will have several poles, and there
will be new geopolitical borders. The problem of the Armenians is to
perceive the moment and orient correctly during the formation of the
geopolitical borders for Armenia and Karabakh to appear on the same
side of the border. Democratization in Russia and Armenia were not
simultaneous. The Russian Federation is a step ahead of Armenia.”

RA PRIME MINISTER APPOINTS NEW DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 17:46

With RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s decision Gagik Vardanyan
has been dismissed from the position of the RA Deputy Minister of
Trade and Economic Development.

According to another decree of the Prime Minister Arayik Grigoryan has
been appointed RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development.

A MANIA FOR ARMENIA
Janet Forman
April 2006 issue

Budget Travel Online, NY
March 20 2006

Rug designer James Tufenkian wants everyone else to love his native
land as much as he does.

Growing up in L.A. in the 1950s, the strongest connection rug designer
James Tufenkian had to Armenia was in the kitchen. He’d smell the
cardamom, cloves, and cumin in his mother’s traditional dishes,
and listen to stories of his grandparents’ flight from Armenia in
the 1890s after a series of massacres.

In 1981, Tufenkian took his first trip to Armenia, and everything
changed. “I could no longer enjoy my comfortable life while Armenians
were starving, freezing, and at war,” he says. “I could do something
to help, and I had no excuse not to.”

He got involved by doing what he does best. Tufenkian is founder
and CEO of Tufenkian Carpets, and in 1993, he opened a factory in
Armenia. (Until then, all of the handwoven rugs were made in Nepal.)
“We retaught weavers everything their grandparents used to know about
carpet-making, but forgot during Soviet times,” he says. By 1999, the
Armenian arm of Tufenkian Carpets was doing so well that Tufenkian
used profits to start a foundation that now supports more than 50
projects, such as recording sacred Armenian music and teaching kids
computer skills.

Among the foundation’s successes was the Knitting Ladies, a group of
200 women who make comforters and pillow shams. Their handiwork shows
up in the latest Tufenkian endeavor: new boutique hotels. “Everyone
knew Armenia needed a tourist infrastructure,” he recalls. “Someone in
the aid community proposed moving mobile homes to the great tourist
sites of the country. It was as if he saw Armenia as a crummy little
country that should be content to survive in a crummy little fashion.”

Tufenkian hired Irish designer Clodagh to help do the interiors
of the 14-room Avan Villa in 2001 (from $102). Constructed out of
pink tufa stone and overlooking the capital, Yerevan, the hotel is
decorated with handwoven 19th-century rugs called kilims and thick
Tufenkian carpets. Each morning, Armenian coffee and walnuts are
served on a hillside terrace. A year later, he introduced the Avan
Marak Tsapatagh on Lake Sevan, two hours northeast of Yerevan. The
hotel uses materials that look like they came right from the earth:
cave-like flagstone showers, rock tabletops, sinewy wrought-iron posts
(from $74). The third hotel, Avan Dzoraget, is in a new building
that resembles a castle; it’s on the Debed River, near the ancient
monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin (from $73). The modern world feels
centuries away. Shepherds drive their flocks down the main street
and draw water from a well in the hotel driveway.

Tufenkian currently has plans to open four more boutique hotels,
including the Avan Areni, in Armenia’s wine country, in the south.

Tufenkian also launched a tour program. On the 12-day Armenia Reborn
tour, visitors plant trees, watch children’s art classes, meet the
Knitting Ladies, and sample Armenia’s renowned Ararat brandy ($1,440
per person, not including airfare). Custom single- and multiday trips
are also available. “We’re exposing travelers to projects and people
involved in building a nation out of rubble,” says Tufenkian. “We
hope that everyone will be uplifted in the process.” All hotels and
tours are booked through tufenkian.am, 011-374/10-547-888.

http://www.budgettravelonline .com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR200603100 1272.html

THE EU AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

A1+
07:14 pm 20 March, 2006

Tbilisi/Brussels, 20 March 2006: To guarantee its own security,
the EU must become more engaged in resolving the conflicts in the
South Caucasus lest they ignite into full-fledged wars in Europe’s
neighbourhood.

Conflict Resolution in the South Caucasus: The EU’s Role,* the latest
report from the International Crisis Group, examines the EU’s efforts
to address tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
and points out how the EU can do more.

“Greater engagement is a challenge Brussels has only just begun
to address”, says Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group’s Caucasus Project
Director. “There have been a few promising steps, but there is a long
way to go”.

Thus far, others have taken the lead in promoting conflict settlement
in the region, but over a decade of negotiations led by the UN in
Abkhazia, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) in Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia, have not produced
comprehensive peace agreements. With its reputation as an “honest
broker”, access to a range of soft and hard power tools, and the lure
of greater integration into Europe, the EU has a greater role to play,
and offers added value to compliment the UN and the OSCE.

To avoid instability on its borders, the EU seeks a ring of
well-governed countries around it. It is further interested in the
South Caucasus to ensure access to Caspian oil and gas, develop
transport and communication corridors between Europe and Asia, and
contain such threats as smuggling, trafficking and environmental
degradation.

As the EU is unlikely to offer membership to Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan any time soon, it must identify innovative means to
impose conditionality on its aid and exercise influence. European
Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans are being finalised. These offer
a chance for the EU to enhance its role especially if the peaceful
resolution of the conflicts are defined as commitments.

The new EU Special Representative should observe ongoing negotiations
for the Abkhazian, South Ossetian and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. The
Commission has allocated significant funding to rehabilitation in
South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It should assess how it can start doing
more in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The EU is trying to define its role in a new neighbourhood which is
neither at war nor at peace”, says Nicholas Whyte, Director of Crisis
Group’s Europe Program. “If the EU fails to implement its strategic
vision for a secure neighbourhood, its credibility in the region, and
generally vis-a-vis Russia and the U.S., will suffer. More troublingly,
if the South Caucasus conflicts continue to deteriorate, the EU may
find itself unprepared for responding to wars among its neighbours”.

ARMENIAN JAZZ WEEK TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW POSTPONED UNTIL AUTUMN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 20 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian Jazz
Week that was to be held on March 12-26 in Moscow in connection with
the Year of Armenia in Russia was postponed until autumn. As Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed from Foreign Relations Department of
RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs, famous Armenian composer
Arno Babajanian’s 85th anniversary will be also marked this year,
so the organizers have tried to hold the Armenian Jazz Day in Moscow
by a larger program, also including the jubilee events dedicated
to the composer: at present the Armenian State Jazz Band conducted
by Armen Martirosian and the Arno Babajanian Fund are working out a
joint concert program.

Turkish, US officials discuss Armenia, Iran, Cyprus

Anatolia news agency
17 Mar 06

Ankara, 17 March: Ankara has given the message to the US assistant
secretary of state for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,
Daniel Fried, who reportedly asked Turkey to open up the border
crossing with Armenia, that the issue was part of the Turkish-Armenian
normalization process.

According to diplomatic sources, Fried urged Turkey to open up the
border gate between Turkey and Armenia since it would contribute to
resolution of Upper Karabakh problem.

Ankara reiterated its actual policy and made known that the issue
was part of the normalization process of relations between Turkey
and Armenia.

Iran’s nuclear programme was also taken up at the meetings, sources
said. Both sides shared concern over Iran’s nuclear programme;
however Turkish and American officials agreed that the problem
should be resolved through diplomatic means. On the other hand the
US executive conveyed the message to Turkish side that the military
alternative was still on the table.

During Fried’s meeting with MFA [Foreign Ministry] Undersecretary Ali
Tuygan, the Cyprus issue was one of the topics and Tuygan emphasized
the importance of ending the isolation of TRNC. Tuygan recalled
that the Greek Cypriot side, which had always had an uncompromising
attitude, was rewarded.

Ukraine, Georgia and EU to construct gas pipeline to supply Caspian
gas in European countries

Regnum, Russia
March 17 2006

Ukraine, Georgia and EU plan to construct a gas pipeline to supply
Caspian gas into European countries, informed a source in the Georgian
embassy, quoting the statements, made on 5th international conference
“Oil, gas, power engineering and infrastructure – GIOGIE-2006”,
which opened in Tbilisi on March 16.

According to the source, a specially created international consortium
of five companies already started its work on the project. Length of
gas pipeline will be around 1,000 km. Part of the pipeline between
Georgia and Ukraine will be constructed and the sea floor. Source
informed that in the near future, work on technical basis of the
project will start.

Earlier, National stock company Naftogaz Ukraine declared its
intention to participate in constructions of transit gas pipeline
from Iran to Western Europe. It proposed the Iranian side two
possible routes of the Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Russia-Ukraine-Europe
and Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Black Sea-Ukraine-Europe pipelines. Naftogaz
Ukraine proposed Iran to begin the realization of one of project in
bilateral format, with further joining of other countries, informs
finance.ua.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/16/2006
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1) US Assistant Secretary of State Visits Armenia
2) Turks in Germany Rally Honor Talaat Pasha
3) Istanbul University Hosts Conference on Turkish-Armenian Relations
4) Armenian Vice-Speaker Meets with Armenian Youth of Moscow

1) US Assistant Secretary of State Visits Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)–On the last leg of his regional tour, US Deputy
Secretary of State Daniel Fried met Thursday with Armenia’s President Robert
Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, and Defense Minister Serge
Sargsian.
Fried, who also visited Azerbaijan and Georgia, said the goal of his trip was
to study the situation in the region after the Rambouillet meeting between the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as to discuss a number of issues
pertaining to the future of the region, including energy security.
Steven Mann, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair from the United States, accompanied
the
US deputy secretary of state to Yerevan and said: “It is a difficult fact that
we did not move ahead at Rambouillet. But the two countries’ presidents are
willing to move forward.”
Fried says he believes there is still an opportunity for Armenia and
Azerbaijan to make a breakthrough in the Karabagh settlement process. He said
he is convinced that negotiations can be continued despite the lack of
progress
at the latest round of high-level talks at Rambouillet.
“Both governments express their countries’ interests and take the Karabagh
settlement process seriously,” Fried said, sharing with the media his
impressions of the meetings with officials in Baku and Yerevan.
He added that the settlement of the conflict will stimulate the economic
progress of the region.
Fried also addressed energy issues at a news conference in Yerevan. He said
the US would not object to the Armenian government’s ambitious plans to
build
a new nuclear power station replacing the Medzamor plant, which is due to be
decommissioned by 2016.
Fried said after recent explosions in the pipeline that ships Russian gas to
the South Caucasus, the US and Europe have been paying greater attention to
the
energy situation in the region and the need to cut its heavy dependence on
Russian fuel supplies.
He said Armenia’s desire to build a new nuclear power plant will be discussed
in Washington.
During his trip, Fried also denied media allegations that US ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, would be recalled soon, allegedly for acknowledging
publicly last year that 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was
genocide.
“Ambassador Evans enjoys the confidence of the State Department and will
continue to serve as US ambassador to Armenia,” he said.
Ambassador Evans who was also present at the news conference reiterated what
he had said earlier: “I serve at the pleasure of US president.”
Fried said the US Government is also interested in the democratic
situation in
Armenia.
The American diplomats left Yerevan for Istanbul later on Thursday to
attend a
meeting of the Minsk Group cochairmen due to be held there.

2) Turks in Germany Rally Honor Talaat Pasha

BERLINAfter German courts overruled the Berlin Police Department’s decision to
stop the Turkish march in honor of Talaat Pasha, around 20 Turks gathered in
Berlin to honor one of the masterminds of the Armenian genocide.
This group of Turks, however, was prevented from placing a wreath at the foot
of a memorial dedicated to victims of the Nazi regime in Germany. A group
consisting of both Armenians and Germans blocked the Turks from placing the
wreath there, because they considered honoring a perpetrator of genocide to be
disrespectful to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust.
Following these developments, the Berlin Police Department has submitted a
request to the court to stop another planned Turkish rally scheduled for
Saturday, March 18. The court will rule on the matter Friday.
The court’s ruling will be based on the German law that forbids denial of the
Holocaust. It is unclear whether that law can be applied to the denial of
other
genocides as well.

3) Istanbul University Hosts Conference on Turkish-Armenian Relations

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)–Some 70 Turkish and foreign academics gathered in
Istanbul on Wednesday for a three-day conference titled “A New Approach to
Turkish-Armenian Relations.”
In a rare move, the gathering, organized by Istanbul University, included
presenters of all convictions, but it was largely dominated by historians and
officials who defend Turkey’s official position on the Armenian genocide.
Turkey categorically denies that 1.5 million Armenians were victims of
genocide under its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire.
Twenty-four historians from around the world attended the conference, which
failed to fill up even half of the hall’s 2000 seats. Historians and experts
from Armenia were also invited to the conference. However, they refused to
participate.
Historian Ara Sarafian, who did participate in the conference, told reporters
outside the conference hall that the Genocide is a historical fact, during
which several of his family members lost their lives.
In the first session of the conference, Yair Auron, an Israeli researcher of
Jewish archives from Ottoman times, openly used the term “genocide” and
appealed to Turks to question their past.
“Every civil society has to deal with its past, including the black pages of
this past,” Auron said.
In a message sent to the conference, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
stressed that Turkey is at peace with its past, saying, “We have no page in
our
history to be ashamed of.”
Noting that many conferences and symposiums have been held in Turkey recently
on the Armenian allegations, Gul said, “There has been an increase in the
amount of scientific research, articles and books published about the last
period of the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian genocide claims.”
In a rare move, books deviating from the official Turkish position were made
available at the entrance to the conference hall.
One of the books displayed by Sarafian caused a stir among some of the
Turkish
participants who were offended by the way the Turkish flag was presented on
the
cover. Sarafian subsequently removed the book’s jacket cover, but one
participant continued to verbally assault Sarafian until others intervened.
Turkey has only recently begun discussing the taboo subject of the Armenian
genocide, which many countries have recognized.
In September of last year, a private Istanbul university hosted a landmark
conference organized by Turkish intellectuals disputing Ankara’s official line
on the issue, despite a court order to block it.

4) Armenian Vice-Speaker Meets with Armenian Youth of Moscow

(PanArmenian.Net)–Mitk Union of Armenian Youth organized a meeting between
representatives of Moscow’s Armenian youth organizations and Armenian
Parliamentary Vice-Speaker and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau
member Vahan Hovhannisian.
During the meeting, Hovannisian discussed issues relating to Armenia’s
development, Russian-Armenian cooperation, and Armenia-diaspora relations. He
also spoke about the geopolitical situation in the region and the Karabagh
conflict settlement.
Mitk is a project organized by the Russian-Armenian Commonwealth NGO. Members
of the Mitk Friends’ Club are given the opportunity to meet with Russian and
Armenian politicians and public figures.

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RIFT IN POLICE COULD HINDER THE PROBE
Story By Stephen Muiruri

Daily Nation, Kenya
March 16 2006

Divisions among the country’s top police chiefs are likely to hamper
investigations into the activities of two men who claim to be Armenians
and who are at the centre of mercenary claims.

The investigators are torn between police commissioner Mohammed
Hussein Ali and CID chief Joseph Kamau, who fell out after the raid
on the Standard Group offices on March 2.

Mr Isaiah Osugo, the Nairobi deputy provincial CID chief, is
spearheading the investigations into claims by Lang’ata MP Raila
Odinga that the two men, who claim to be brothers – Artur Margaryan
and Artur Sargsyan – are mercenaries.

Business opportunities

The investigators are also trying to verify claims by the brothers
that they are investors exploring business opportunities in Kenya.

Mr Osugo was appointed the chief investigator on March 8 by Maj-Gen
Ali after Mr Odinga visited him at his Vigilance House office to
complain about the presence of the two foreigners in Kenya.

After the meeting, Mr Odinga told reporters that he had informed
Maj-Gen Ali that Mr Kamau knew the house in Runda where the two
brothers were staying and was aware of the protection being offered
to them by GSU officers.

But Mr Kamau dismissed the claims as “utter rubbish” and questioned
the motive of the meeting between the Maj-Gen Ali and the Lang’ata MP.

Chain of command

Yesterday, police sources told the Nation that although Mr Osugo
is supposed to report to Mr Kamau through his immediate boss, Mr
Sammy Githui, that chain of command does not apply in the case of
the mercenaries investigations.

When appointing Mr Osugo, Maj-Gen Ali reportedly ordered him to report
any findings directly to him.

On the same day Mr Osugo was appointed to investigate the saga, Mr
Kamau issued a statement through CID spokesman Gideon Kibunjah and
said there were no mercenaries in Kenya.

“We therefore take this early opportunity to dispel those baseless,
wild and unsubstantiated claims. There are no mercenaries operating
in Kenya,” said the statement.

It asked politicians “to behave responsibly and exercise maturity in
their public utterances and avoid populist and alarming statements”.

Relations between Maj-Gen Ali and his CID chief have been frosty since
Mr Kamau kept him in the dark on the Standard raid, even though it
was his own officers who led the attack.

The attack was carried out by an elite squad directly answerable to
Mr Kamau.

Mr Odinga has insisted that the two foreigners were linked to the raid.

The rift between the two top policemen reached its climax on Monday
last week when Maj-Gen Ali attempted to sack Mr Kamau.

National Security minister John Michuki intervened by promptly
informing State House, which ordered him to ensure that did not happen.

Questions being raised are whether Mr Osugo could investigate his
CID boss and ask him to record a statement on the claims made against
him by Mr Odinga.

Mr Kamau has not been questioned. However, he has said he is willing
to record a statement if requested.

Key questions Mr Osugo is supposed to seek answers to include:

Do Narc activist Mary Wambui and her daughter Winnie have any dealings
with Mr Margaryan and Mr Sargsyan?

What does CID chief Kamau know about the foreigners and has he ever
visited their Runda house or offered them protection as alleged by
Mr Odinga?

What does State House know about the two men and have they ever
visited State House?

Are Mr Margaryan and Mr Sargsyan investors or in Kenya on a dangerous
mission?

Who in the Government allowed them to use cars with GK number plates,
and who offered them police protection?

Why do they drive around Nairobi with the number plates on their cars
covered in full view of traffic police?

Who facilitated their coming to Kenya and how long have they been here?

Did they participate in the Standard raid as claimed by Mr Odinga?

Who ordered the police, headed by Runda police station boss Jeremiah
Lang’at, to leave the Runda house and return to their base on Monday,
when they went to provide security to Mr Osugo’s team?

Are top government officials keen on the truth on the real identity
and the mission of the two foreigners coming out?

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TO BE CREATED AT LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES TILL APRIL

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. A National Commission on Children’s
Rights Protection was created in Armenia. Representatives of
different ministries are involved in it. The commission will
regulate works directed to protection of children’s rights in the
republic. Corresponding departments will be created at the Yerevan
Mayor’s Office and all the regional administrations till April to
implement those works at place. Those departments will particularly
be engaged in solution of problems of children being in difficult
situations, left without parental care as well as in issue of placing
those children in different special institutions or returning their
families.

As Lala Ghazarian, the Chief of the Department on Family, Women’s and
Children’s Problems of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Issues
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, at these departments doctors,
pedagogues, psychologists, social workers and lawyers will work. The
latters will be civil servicemen. According to L.Ghazarian, within
the framework of programs of international organizations, re-training
courses will be organized for employees of the departments during
the coming two years, and the departments will be provided with
modern equipment.

It was also mentioned that according to the last data, 36 vagrant and
beggar children, 6751 children left out of the system of comprehensive
education, among them 2888 in Yerevan, are registered in the republic.