Author: Tvankchian Parkev

IN OPINION OF RESIDENTS OF BUILT-UP AREAS, DECISION ON CITIZENS’ PROPERTY RIGHTS OF REAL ESTATE NOT IMPLEMENTED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 16, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Residents of 28 districts of Yerevan, in
particular, Armenakian St, 23 Koryun St, Antarayin and Verin Antarayin
Streets, and 3 districts of Shangavit community staged a protest
outside the residence of the Armenian president on May 15. They
demanded that they should meet with the president Serge Sargsian
to tell him about the faults during the process of recognizing the
citizens’ property rights of real estate.

The chairman of Community and Law NGO Samvel Mkrtchian said that the
residents of the indicated districts demand that the Armenian president
change the members of the commission dealing with these areas’ issues.

Besides, they demand revising the government decision on recognition
of citizens’ property rights of real estate. According to the NGO
chairman, although this decision took effect, its implementation in
more than 30 districts has not been regulated.

The residents of the indicated districts have appiled to the
appropriate bodies for several years, asking them to restore the
property right of their land plots and apartments. A commission was
set up, but, in the words of S. Mkrtchian, it only makes arbitrary
decisions. "For example, if a citizen owns a 800 sq.m. land plot,
an unfounded decision may be taken to privatize only 120 sq.m.. It
is unfair because people have lived in these areas for 50-60 years
and in fact, it is their property," S. Mkrtchian said.

The protesters were received by the RA presidential staff’s
correspondence unit Aida Asatrian. An agreement was reached with her
to organize a joint meeting of the commission on problems of residents
of the indicated areas and the RA presidential staff’s supervision
department on the same day.

Pasadena Star-News, CA
May 17 2008

Pasadena park undergoes metamorphosis

Larry Wilson:
Article Launched: 05/17/2008 10:25:30 PM PDT

It was hot as a Pink’s chili cheese dog Friday – 93 in the non-shade
of the Washington Park lot – but when neighborhood advocate Betty
Sword and I strolled down under the live oaks, there was shade and a
cooling breeze through the park.

I hadn’t been in the park, just west of Lake Avenue on Pasadena’s
Washington Boulevard, in years. I recalled a graffiti-defiled place
with a reputation as a place for gangs to hang, as its gully is not
visible from any passing police cruisers on the street.

But it turns out that 18 months ago, thanks to the citizen-driven
Friends of Washington Square Park, the city, the Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy, the Theodore Payne Foundation and other people of great
goodwill, the historic park has been transformed into an oasis of
native plants, playgrounds, a ball field and the best-maintained
tennis courts I’ve seen in the city.

In the 1920s the park, the city’s first north of downtown, was
designed by the great horticulturist and California plant booster
Payne himself, along with Ralph Cornell, the landscape architect with
whom Payne partnered on Occidental College.

In July 1920, a Star-News story headlined "Votes $6500 for Sunken
Garden" told of the park’s creation. But in recent years it had fallen
into the squalor I had recalled.

Now, it’s vibrant again. The planting is almost entirely indigenous,
and there’s lots of signage explaining the native iris and
toyon. Tennis player Norm stopped by to extoll its virtues, and to say
that while some graffiti appeared a few days ago, it was quickly
painted over by city crews. Handball player Oscar came up to us, glad
there’s still somewhere in town to enjoy his sport – and to point out
the cameras that’ll flash and take your mug if you’re in there too
late at night, along with an audio warning to get out.

My recommendation is that we all picnic in Washington Park more
often. There are some pictures on my blog that will help second that.

Non-newspaper types sometimes imagine the hurdles to entry on our
opinion pages are much higher than they are. In fact, we welcome an
incredible diversity of opinions, none of which – our unsigned
editorials aside – we necessarily agree with. The conversation should
be as broad as possible.

But we’re not inclined to print mere propagandists, and certainly try
to sort out those associated with nutball hate groups. We wouldn’t
print a tome by a Holocaust denier, for instance.

So we failed on that front recently by printing, on April 25 – one day
after the international Armenian Remembrance Day – an unsolicited
piece by a Washington, D.C.-based writer arguing that Armenians
worldwide should worry more about ongoing political problems in
Armenia than dwelling on historical tragedies.

Jason Epstein (not the great New York editor of the same name) is in
fact associated with Armenian genocide deniers – and that makes him
persona non grata in my book. Over 1 million Armenians were
deliberately killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. It’s taking
way too long for the world to accept that horrific fact. We should not
have run Epstein’s screed.

IT’S NECESSARY TO INCLUDE YOUNG AND HONEST CADRES IN JUDICIAL BODIES

Azat Artsakh Daily
Published on May 16, 2008
NKR Republic

On may 15th NKR President Bako Sahakyan convened a conference,
during which questions refering to the process of court formation and
"Alraghats" CJSC were discussed.At the beginning of the conference the
President noted, that the protector of human rights in NKR henceforth
would assist at the discussion of the questions having a relation
with human raights.

Touching upon judicial sphere, the head of the country emphasized,
that it was necessary to activize the process of "normalization" of
the courts, including young and honest cadres in judicial bodies.In
the context of judicial reforms questions refering to formation of
Audit court were also discussed. Special attention was paid also
to the problems of transfering the residences of judicial bodies to
Shushi. Arousing the questions refering to "Alraghats" CJSC, it was
noted, that the process of realization of corresponding arrangements
and study of problems had been finished, and the second stage had
been alsready bagun. NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan and other
officials assisted at the conference. — — — — The same day
the President Bako Sahakyan visited Shushi and got acquainted with
possible places of setting of judicial bodies on the spot.

PRICES OF PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL HOUSES GROW BY 3.8% IN YEREVAN SINCE EARLY 2008

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 15, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. 1,447 transactions on purchase-sale of
private residential houses were concluded in Armenia in the first
quarter of 2008, including 321 transactions in Yerevan. The number
of purchase-sales of private houses declined by 29.6% as compared
with the 4th quarter of 2007, including a decline of 43.7% in Yerevan
and a decline of 24.2% in all the marzes taken together. The number
of transactions on purchase-sale of private houses grew by 0.2% as
compared with the 1st quarter of 2007, including a growth of 21.1%
in Yerevan and a decline of 4.5% in all the marzes taken together.

According to data of the State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre
adjunct to the RA government, the average market ptices of private
houses in Yerevan’s communities grew by 3.8% in the 1st quarter of
2008 on the 4th quarter of 2007. The prices of a 250 sq.m. building
with a 400 sq.m. personal plot made (per square meter): in Kentron
community – 486 thousand drams (about 1,567 USD), in Arabkir –
396.4 thousand drams, in Kanaker-Zeytun – 307.4 thousand drams, in
Nork-Marash – 265.8 thousand drams, in Avan – 267.1 thousand drams,
and in Erebuni – 265.9 thousand drams.

The average prices of private residential houses grew by 7% in the
indicated period as compared with 4th quarter of 2007 and made (per
square meter): Ashtarak – 118.9 thousand drams, Aparan – 34.5 thousand
drams, Talin – 43.9 thousand drams, Artashat – 97.5 thousand drams,
Dilijan – 86.9 thousand drams.

VIVACELL TO SPONSOR THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

armradio.am
15.05.2008 16:52

On May 17 the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) and "VivaCell"
Company will sign an agreement on cooperation, according to which
"VivaCell" will become the general sponsor of the Armenian national
football team.

Armenpress was told from the Press Service of the Football federation
of Armenia that the contract will be signed by FFA President Ruben
Hayrapetyan and the Director General of "VivaCell" Ralf Yirikyan.

A similar agreement was recently signed between the Football Federation
and the "Star" Company, in compliance with which the latter became
the general sponsor of the Armenian premier league.

Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General on official visit to Armenia

Strasbourg, 15.05.2008 – The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, will visit Yerevan (Armenia) to
participate in a conference on domestic violence, organised by the
Armenian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on 20 May.

During her visit, Ms de Boer-Buquicchio is due to meet with the
President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Tigran Torosyan, the
Prime Minister, Tigran Sargsyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edward
Nalbandian, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arman Kirakossian,
the Minister of Justice, Gevorg Danielian, the Minister of Labour and
Social Affairs, Aghvan Vardanian and the Armenian Ombudsman Armen
Harutyunyan.

A press point will be organised on Tuesday, 20 May (time to be
confirmed), in the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan ("European
Regional Academy" building, 10 David Anhaght street, tel. + 374 10 24 38
92).

La Secrétaire Générale adjointe du Conseil de l’Europe en visite
officielle en Arménie

Strasbourg, 15.05.2008 – La Secrétaire Générale adjointe du
Conseil de l’Europe, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, se rendra en visite à
Erevan (Arménie) pour participer, le 20 mai, à une conférence sur
la violence domestique, organisée par le Ministère arménien du
Travail et des Affaires sociales.

Lors de cette visite, des entretiens sont prévus avec le Président
de l’Assemblée Nationale de l’Arménie, Tigran Torosyan, le Premier
Ministre, Tigran Sargsyan, le Ministre des Affaires étrangères,
Edward Nalbandian, le Vice-Ministre des Affaires étrangères, Arman
Kirakossian, le Ministre de la Justice, Gevorg Danielian, le Ministre du
Travail et des Affaires sociales, Aghvan Vardanian et le Défendeur
arménien des Droits de l’Homme, Armen Harutyunyan.

Un point presse sera donné à l’issue de la visite, le mardi 20 mai
(heure à confirmer), au Bureau du Conseil de l’Europe ("European
Regional Academy" building, 10 David Anhaght street, tel. +374 10 24 38
92).

ED078b08

ARTHUR BAGHDASARIAN RECEIVES CONGRATULATIONS FROM BELARUS AND UZBEK COUNTERPARTS

ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: The presidential press service said on
the occasion of his being appointed secretary of the National Security
Council Arthur Baghdasarian received congratulatory messages from
his Belarus counterpart Viktor Sheiman and Uzbek counterpart M. Ataev.

TENDER TO CHOOSE THIRD MOBILE PHONE COMMUNICATION OPERATOR POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The rules of the tender to choose a
third mobile phone communication operator in Armenia have not been
approved yet.

The head of the telecommunication unit of the RA Public Services
Regulatory Commission Gevorg Gevorgian stated on May 13 that there
is a necessity to hold additional discussions on these rules, as a
result of which the tender has been postponed.

G. Gevorgian failed to say when exactly the tender will be announced
and which companies intend to participate in it. According to him,
information about the tender will be published by famous foreign mass
media, including the Financial Times.

ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN DEPRIVED OF OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY TO APPROPRIATE BODIES
TO RECEIVE CITIZENSHIP

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. In order to be granted citizenship of the
Republic of Armenia, one should apply to the RA Passport and Visa
Department in person and fill in an application-questionnaire and a
test on knowledge of the Constitution, whereas Zhirayr Sefilian has no
such opportunity as he is in prison. The head of the RA Police Passport
and Visa Department, Colonel Alvina Zakarian said this in response to a
reporter’s question. The commander of the Shoushi special battalion Z.
Sefilian recently applied through his plenipotentiary to the department
with the request to be granted citizenship, but his application has
been rejected.

In the words of A. Zakarian, Z. Sefilian’s earlier application with the
same request was also rejected because "his activities here disturb
public order".

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA FM: Armenian government will do utmost to strengthen democracy
08.05.2008 14:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian delivered a speech at the the118th session
of the Council of Europe, the RA FA press office
reported.

Thanking the Council of Ministers for support, the
Minister said, `the Republic of Armenia has to
strengthen democracy and the government will do its
utmost in this direction. Our country has still a
great deal of work to do but we are confident that we
can overcome all hardships and continue the course of
reform.’

Touching on the Nagorono Karabakh conflict, the
Armenian Minister confirmed Armenia’s willingness to
continue talks in the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group.