Author: Vanyan Gary

VARTAN OSKANIAN APPRECIATES ICRC ACTIVITY IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Vartan Oskanian
received Jakob Kellenberger, the Chairman of the International
Committee of the Red Cross, on April 7. The Foreign Minister
appreciated at the meeting the ICRC activity in Armenia, as an
impartial, nuetral and independent organization. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
the sides touched upon problems relating to the activity of the state
commission engaged in “Issues of Captives, Hostages and People Lost
Traceless.” The commission is created in 2000 by the RA President’s
decree, within the framework of the ICRC activity in Armenia. The issue
of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding concerning people lost
traceless, which was presented by the ICRC to the conflict sides in
2005, was also discussed.

Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
April 8 2006
Race troubles British political party
Big News Network
Saturday 8th April, 2006 (UPI)
The British National Party faces a revolt over selecting the grandson
of an asylum-seeker to stand for a Bradford ward in next month’s
local elections.
BNP hard-liners are refusing to accept the candidacy of Sharif Abdel
Gawad on racial grounds, even though officials said he is a totally
assimilated Greek-Armenian whose grandfather was a Christian, the
Guardian newspaper reported Saturday.
Scores of party contributors have denounced Mr. Gawad’s selection on
online notice boards. They contend the BNP should remain an all-white
party and the decision to appoint Gawad was made over the heads of
rank and file members.
A BNP spokesman said those members who refused to accept Gawad have
no place in the party.
In 2004 party leader Nick Griffin tired to force through a rules
change allowing non-white people to join the BNP. After widespread
opposition from members, leaders were forced to abandon the effort.

DRAFT LAW ON COMPULSORY SOCIAL INSURANCE AGAINST ACCIDENTS AT WORK AND
PROFESSIONAL ILLNESSES DEVELOPED
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. A draft law on compulsory social
insurance against accidents at work and professional illnesses has
been developed by the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues. Hrach
Ananian, chief technical inspector of the Republican Branch Union of
the RA Trade Union of Workers of Construction and Building Material
Production, told NT correspondent about it. According to the draft,
the compensations to the persons insured against accidents at work and
professional ilnesses will be paid from a state insurance fund to be
set up, whose resources will form from compulsory mothly payments made
by insured persons. These payments will make up 1.5% of salary and
other resources equated to it for those involved in hard and most
dangerous work, 1%- for those involved in hard and dangerous work, and
0.5% – for other workers. It was noted that the function of keeping
record of accidents at building sites was transerred in 2005 from the
branch trade unions to the RA State Labor Inspection. According to
Hrach Ananian, about 20 deaths and 400-500 injuries of various degrees
as a result of accidents at building sites were registered in the
Soviet time. After Armenia’s independence, construction volumes have
declined in Armenia, and 5-7 accidents resulting in death and about
100 accidents causing injuries are now registered in the country each
year.

Armenpress
CHINESE AMBASSADOR SAYS RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA GOOD

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS: In an interview to
Armenpress news agency Chinese ambassador to Yerevan,
Tzu Siolian, said Armenian-Chinese political contacts
were on high level with mutual exchange visits and
other contacts. He said Armenia and China have no
political problems.
“Our relations are developing based on reciprocal
respect and equality. Both countries support one
another at international organizations,” he said. The
ambassador lamented a low trade between the two
countries which last year made only $8 million. But he
said it was significantly bigger over the previous
years.
Last year the government of China gave Armenia 15
million Yuan assistance which Armenia wants to spend
on buying agricultural machines. The ambassador also
mentioned cooperation in education area. Now around 30
Chinese students major in different areas at Yerevan
universities.
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All Headline News
April 7 2006
Armenia Gives Russia’s Gazprom Control Over Pipeline, Power Plant
April 7, 2006 2:30 a.m. EST
Matthew Borghese – All Headline News Staff Writer
Moscow, Russia (AHN) – Russia’s Gazprom will take control over an
Armenian-Iranian pipeline in a new deal, as well as a power plant.
The 25-year deal gives Russia’s energy company control over Armenia’s
yet-to-be-constructed, 122-mile section of the pipeline to Iran, as
well as the rights to the electricity produced at the Razdan-5 power
plant.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, asked why the country sold
such key control to a Russian firm, says, “The goal is to soften the
impact of the price increases on the population, to make it happen
gradually.”
According to Gazprom executives, the deal fixes the prices for
Armenians at $110 USD (90 EUD) for three years.
According to BusinessWeek, Russia already largely controls the
Razdan-5 plant, the country’s main electricity producer, and Armenia
is wholly dependent on Moscow for gas supplies.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 6, 2006 Thursday 10:23 AM EST
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be solved by compromise
by Natalia Simorova, Yulia Nemchenko
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict “should be resolved by compromise,”
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said in Moscow on Thursday.
“We will gain nothing if the sides will each continue to insist on
its own stand,” he said. “The conflict has lasted for 15 years,”
the minister recalled. “We have not progressed an inch toward its
solution.”
He remarked, “Over this period of time people of Nagorno-Karabakh
proved that they can govern themselves.” “This is the main
criterion of the judgement that the method of self-determination will
be effective,” Vartan Oskanyan said.

Armenia Tree Project
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 0026
Tel: (37410) 44-74-01
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
March 6, 2006
`Regional Environmental Center’ Hosts Official Launch of ATP Environmental
Education Curriculum
YEREVAN–The Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus
() hosted the official release of Armenia Tree Project’s
new environmental education curriculum, `Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree,’ on
March 30. The curriculum was developed last year by Armenia Tree Project
(ATP) in collaboration with Karla Wesley, PhD.
The curriculum was recently approved as a teacher’s manual for use in public
schools all over Armenia by the Ministry of Education and Science. In
addition to Dr. Wesley and ATP Environmental Education Program Manager
Gayane Ghukasyan, many others who contributed to the development of the
publication were present, including Luba Balyan of the Birds of Armenia NGO
and Sirvard Mamikonyan of the USDA’s Center for Agribusiness and Rural
Development.
The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education,
Yerevan State University, World Wildlife Fund and other NGOs, as well as
teachers and principals from various schools. The Royal Netherlands Embassy
funded the printing of the curriculum for each school in Armenia, and many
of the guests were interested in obtaining additional copies from ATP.
Dr. Gayane Ghukasyan welcomed the participants and announced that 1,450
schools in Armenia will receive the book for use in its environmental
education program. She explained that ATP has already established
cooperation with 13 schools, which are using the publication in their youth
clubs.
Karen Melkonyan, head of the curriculum evaluation department of the
Ministry of Education expressed his appreciation for the interactive methods
in the curriculum, and recommended it to all schools in Armenia. `One of the
advantages of this publication is the new teaching methods suggested which
create better and long lasting understanding,’ stated Dr. Melkonyan. `The
author has studied Armenian culture and nature–which is very
gratifying–and used it as examples in the curriculum.’
`Armenian culture at its best reveals the relationship between human being
and nature. That is why children of Armenia should not forget about the
magnificent culture they inherited to preserve and be proud of,’ replied Dr.
Wesley in her remarks.
`This publication presents very informative and useful material that can be
used by all educators dealing with scientific subjects in schools throughout
Armenia,’ stated Anahit Bakhshyan, the principal of School No. 27, who also
commended ATP and the creators of the curriculum.
An electronic version of ATP’s environmental education curriculum is
available in English and Armenian at the following link:
PH OTO CAPTION: (L to R) Contributors Sirvard Mamikonyan and Luba Balyan, ATP
Foundation President Susan Klein, curriculum lead author Karla Wesley, ATP
Environmental Education Program Manager Gayane Ghukasyan, translator Gayane
Zavaryan, and ATP Community Tree Planting Program Manager Anahit Gharibyan

THE HARMS OF THE STRATEGICALLY “RIGHT” PARTNER
A1+
[05:14 pm] 05 April, 2006
Today Robert Kocharyan visited the “ArmRusGasArd” LTD where he had
a working consultation with the authorities of the company.
Robert Kocharyan said that the aim of the visit is to sum up the work
of the previous year and to get acquainted with the main things to
do during the coming year.
The head of the “ArmRusGasArd” administration Karen Karapetyan
represented a report about the main indexes of the previous year. He
said that during the year 2005 1 billion 685 million cubic meters
of gas has been imported into Armenia. According to him, at present
“ArmRusGasArd” has 630 634 subscribers in Armenia.
Karen Karapetyan said that thanks to the complex measures taken,
the company has been converted into a profit-making one and stable
financial activity is secured as a result of which today “ArmRusGasArd”
is one of the major tax-payers of Armenia.
As for the year 2006, Karen Karapetyan considers the finishing of the
gasification process one of the major concerns mentioning that they
mean to raise the number of the subscribers by 80-100 thousand. He also
found the construction work of the gas pipeline Iran-Armenia important.
“The Government is interested in 8220;ArmRusGasArd” to be
profit-making and to have efficient management”, Robert Kocharyan
underlined. According to him, time showed that the choice of the
strategic partner in the face of Russian “Gasprom” was right. He
voiced confidence that the future joint programs will contribute to
the further development of the company.
Let us remind you that since April 1 the Russian gas is imported into
Armenia for 110 USD for 1000 cubic meters.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY-CIVIL SOCIETY COOPERATION IN STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
On April 6 and 7 an international conference entitled “The Role
of National Assembly-Civil Society Cooperation in the Struggle
Against Corruption” will take place. The conference was initiated
by the Speaker of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan (on an
arrangement reached during the visit to the U.S.) and organized by
the National Assembly, the OSCE, Eurasia Foundation, USAID and UNDP.
On April 6 the conference will open with the addresses of Speaker
Arthur Baghdasaryan and Vice President of Eurasia Foundation Andrea
Harris, U.S. Ambassador John Evans, U.N. Coordinator Consuelo Vidal,
the head of the OSCE Yerevan office Vladimir Pryakhin.
Then there will be discussion on the following topics:
“Parliament-Civil Society Cooperation Models and the Experience of
GOPAC”; “Parliament-Civil Society Cooperation Against Corruption”;
“Certain Legal Problems of Struggle Against “Black Law” as a Negative
Phenomenon Causing Corruption”; “The Role of Public Control Bodies in
the Struggle Against Corruption”; “The Role of the Audit Chamber in the
Struggle Against Corruption: New Opportunities and New Prospects in the
Context of Constitutional Reforms”; “Cooperation of the Audit Chamber
with the Mass Media and Civil Society”; “The Role of the Mass Media in
the Struggle Against Corruption”; “The Interdependency of Corruption
and Freedom of Press”; “The Armenian Mass Media Legislation and Its
Role in the Engagement of Reporters in Anti-Corruption Activity”.
On April 7 there will be panel discussions on the cooperation of
the National Assembly and the civil society, the role of the foreign
control bodies in the struggle against corruption, the role of press
in the struggle against corruption.
Representatives of a number of international organizations and ten
countries, the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, Romania, SAR,
and other countries, participate in the conference.
The goal of the conference is to establish an Armenian office of
the GOPAC.
DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA

US BELIEVES 2006 CRUCIAL FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT
Yerkir
05.04.2006 11:48
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The US believes that 2006 will be crucial year
for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, United States
Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish said.
In his words, the US, as an OSCE Minsk group co-chair has always
supported the talks between the heads of states and foreign ministers
of the conflicting parties and will continue its role of the mediator
in the conflict. “We support the Azerbaijani and Armenian efforts
aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the Ambassador said.
Commenting on the US State Department advising its citizens to avoid
visiting the uncontrolled territories for their own safety, he added
that US has always admitted that “more than 16% of the Azerbaijani
territory are beyond the governmental control and human rights
matters on these territories cannot be controlled by Azerbaijan,”
Trend reports.