ARMENIAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS ARE PRAYED IN SOUTH OF RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan
Dec 08 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. A divine service, dedicated to
the memory of the catastrophic earthquake victims in the north of
Armenia, was held in churches of the South Russia Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. As the editorial office of the "Yerkramas"
(country) newspaper of Armenians of Russia states, heads of the
Armenian public structures of the capital of Kuban and emigrants from
regions of Armenia suffered from the eqarthquake who live in Krasnodar
took part in the divine service in the Surb Hovhannes Avetaranich
(Saint John the Evangelist) church of the city of Krasnodar. The
newspaper also reminds that some cities and more than 300 villages
were destroyed as a result of the strongest earthquake at 11:41,
December 7, 1988. According to official data, about 25000 people died,
140000 people became invalids, more than a million of people remained
without houses. The earthquake shocks completely destroyed Spitak,
which was in the epicenter of the earthquake, destroyed Leninakan
(now Gyumri), Stepanavan, Kirovakan (now Vanadzor).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"OUR CITY" NGO PROPOSES TO BUILD NEW YOUTH PALACE WITH PREVIOUS ONE’S APPEARANCE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 08 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. A number of buildings presenting
historic-cultural value, including the Youth Palace, was destroyed
as a result of wide-spread construction being implemented in Yerevan
during the recent years.

Anahit Tarkhanian, the Chairwoman of the "Our City" public organization
made such a statement at the December 8 meeting with journalists. She
stated that the organization proposes to build new one in the
place of the previous palace, which will repeat the previous one’s
appearance. In A.Tarkhanian’s words, the draft formed by them
envisages only "adding some meters" the height of the building,
what will give possibility to add the number of hotel rooms. "The
Youth Palace is a condensed and complete work, and as no owner may
change, for example, Aivazovsky’s canvases, nobody must change the
appearance of the palace," A.Tarkhanian stated. She stated that the
"Our City" NGO representatives addressed to the Yerevan Mayor’s
Office with a proposal to jointly discuss the issues of the palace
draft and building, but they got refusal from chief archtect Samvel
Danielian. In A.Tarkhanian’s words, the organization addressed with
the same proposal to one of the owners of the territory being built,
but it got no response. A.Tarkhanian emphasized that, irrespective of
everything, they intend "to go to the end and attain that the Youth
Palace is restored."

‘THE SCREAMERS’ AGAINST GENOCIDES
By Hakob Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily
09/12/2006

In association with BBC producer and director Karla Karapetian and
Raffi Manoukian beneficial foundation, world famous System of a Down
rock band made a documentary titled "The Screamers" telling about
the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust and the genocides in Cambodia,
Rwanda and Darfur, Apo Jabarian, editor and publisher of USA Armenia
Life periodical, informs.

Serge Tankian and John Dolmayan, members of the Armenian band, and
some other musicians have been making speeches during the screening
of the documentary at a number of cinemas of Southern California
since December 8.

RA NA SPEAKER’S VISIT TO INDIA WILL PROMOTE ESTABLISHMENT OF COOPERATION IN DIFFERENT SPHERES, AMBASSADOR OF INDIA TO RA IS SURE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. RA National Assembly Speaker’s
forthcoming visit to India is an important factor for preservation and
deepening of Armenian-Indian high-level relations and will promote
establishment of cooperation in different spheres. Reena Pandey,
Ambassador of India to Armenia, said during the December 8 meeting
with RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian. T.Torosian, in his turn, attached
importance to use of the whole potential of Armenian-Indian relations
and elaboration and implementation of concrete programs. He said that
the sitting of Armenian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission will be
held after three years’ interval, which will also promote development
of economic contacts. At NA Speaker’s request the Ambassador enumerated
the spheres with great possibilities of deepening of cooperation –
interparliamentary contacts and exchange of legislative experience,
healthcare and alternative medicine, agriculture, development of
information technologies. Within the framework of all this, launching
of Yerevan-Delhi flight was considered as important, as it will
especially contribute to establishment of business contacts.

R.Pandey mentioned with gratitude Armenia’s assistance to
India at international structures attaching importance to its
permanence. According to the report submitted to Noyan Tapan from RA
NA Public Relations Department, during the meeting they also touched
upon problems of Indian students studying in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AREA OF FORMER YOUTH PALACE IS BEING STUDIED
By Ruzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily
09/12/2006

But New Building’s Layout Is not Finished

The project submitted to Yerevan Municipality’s Town Planning Council
by Avangard-Motors Corporation, the owner of the Youth Palace’s
territory, was discussed these days. There have been a number of
suggestions about this matter that will stir up new discussions once
taken into consideration. Yerevan’s chief architect Samvel Danielian
said that the project was not completely finished and there is no
common opinion about the construction.

"The building which will be built in the area belongs not only to the
owner but also to the city. It is the first project which has been
presented to us, consequently it must be widely discussed before its
approval", said Danielian. According to the City Administration, the
territory’s geological and seismic states are normal and don’t overstep
the limits of required norms. "But in any case, at the time of building
an edifice one must make geological specifications. The building now
is at the stage of study", assured the city’s chief architect.

Author of the project is German architect Sergey Choban.

GRIGOR GHONJEYAN: ULP WILL MANAGE AT LEAST TO KEEP ITS PRESENCE AT NA OF NEXT CONVOCATION

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The United Labor Party pretends
on at least keeping and if possible extending its "presence and
according to it, also its role," at the parliament as a result of
the 2007 parliamentary elections.

Grigor Ghonjeyan, member of RA NA United Labor Party (ULP) faction,
said this at the December 8 press briefing. He said that the party
is going to run for the elections independently, without making
alliance with any political force. Summing up the results of the
parliament autumn session that finished the day before, G.Ghonjeyan
gave assurance that with several special sittings to be convened by the
end of the year the parliament will succeed to fill in the legislative
gaps. Among the latters he attached importance to amendments to the
Electoral Code and the law "On RA National Anthem."

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS ELIMINATING ALL LOOP-HOLES IN TAX LEGISLATION AND CREATING EQUAL CONDITIONS FOR ALL ECONOMIC ENTITIES

Noyan Tapan
Dec 08 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian President Robert
Kocharian on December 8 conducted a working consultation on state
revenues collection problems. NT was informed from the RA President’s
press service that the prime minister, the minister of finance and
economy, the minister of trade and economic development, the chairman
of the Central Bank of Armenia, the heads of the State Tax Service and
the State Customs Committee participated in the consultation. Noting
that at the end of a year the work done is usually summarized and
the activities and programs to be done next year are outlined, R.
Kocharian said that their implementation greatly depends on the
work of tax and customs bodies. In his words, a serious increase in
revenues is envisaged in 2007, so one must be sure that the reforms
will continue and the planned work will be done efficiently and
fully. Although in the past one-two years, some work has been carried
out for improving the tax and customs administration, according to
the RA President, it is far from being satisfactory. Noting that
various tax revenues are not in line with the existing potential,
R. Kocharian demanded focusing on the elimination of all loop-holes
in the tax legislation and ensuring equal conditions for all economic
entities. He said that next year he will be more demanding and he
anticipates an improvement in the quality of work. According to him,
good work will allow to increase considerably the revenue collection,
which in its turn will help with implementation of more programs and
solutions of more problems.

GALUST SAHAKIAN: RPA HAS ITS MODEST PLAN AND ITS MODEST CONTRIBUTION INSIDE STATE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. "The nearer the elections are
the more the people try to present themselves as David of Sassoun,
while David of Sassoun is a collective image," RA NA RPA faction Head
Galust Sahakian said at the December 8 press briefing commenting upon
ambitions of some political forces to register greater progress at the
2007 parliamentary elections. In his words, the processes taking place
inside the state that "very often are directed to RPA with bayonets"
cannot be a political factor for the forces that "appeared in the
situation of having lost everything and have fallen into hysteria."

According to the RPA faction leader, the latters try to blacken RPA
and its leaders ignoring the path passed by them and trying to distort
another’s biography. "We have our modest plan, as in 2003, and we
have our modest contribution inside the state. And our political
manifestation will be based on the very two arguments," G.Sahakian
said. And the political hysteria, in his words, can give rise to
greater tension. However, as G.Sahakian forecast, "there will be no
distortion or marked tension" in connection with the parliamentary
elections.

WILL KOCHARYAN FOLLOW IN TER-PETROSYAN’S FOOTSTEPS?

A1+
[01:37 pm] 08 December, 2006

"Robert Kocharyan has been defeated in the negotiation process of the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict and will now agree to the variants
to which Levon Ter-Petrosyan agreed once; but today these variants
will be less favorable for him", said politician Mubariz Ahmedoghlu,
day.az reports.

According to him, they once proposed to construct the oil pipeline
Baku-Ceyhan through the territory of Armenia, in return for something
else. "Now the pipeline is constructed, and Kocharyan will not have
even that. Time is playing into our hands and after some time he will
have to agree to conditions worse than those offered today".

OPPOSITION WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AGAINST ILLEGAL AUTHORITIES, NATIONAL UNITY FACTION SECRETARY DECLARES

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. "Many facts exposing the authorities’
and their close invironment’s being corrupted and criminalized,
unfortunately, remain ignored." Gagik Tadevosian, Vice-Chairman of
the National Unity Party, declared at the December 8 public hearing
organized by the anti-criminal movement and dedicated to the role of
media in fighting crime. In his words, the reason of such indifference
to facts published by the opposition and some media over the past years
is that the Armenian public has lost its culture of discussing topical
issues. And lack of this culture, in his opinion, marked the beginning
of arbitrariness so typical of the current Armenia. G.Tadevosian
called on the opposition and media together and successively to
fight for establishment of sound atmosphere in the society. In the
words of Alexan Karapetian, another Vice-Chairman of the party and
Secretary of the National Unity parliament faction, inconsistency of
a number of media engaged by the authorities who present distorted
information is an obstacle in this fight. "The anti-criminal movement
and the whole opposition will continue to struggle against the illegal
authorities. Robert Kocharian should resign and Serge Sargsian should
not become President. And we expect adequate coverage of events from
media," A.Karapetian declared.