ARAM ASATRYAN WILL BE BURIED IN ARMENIA (video)
A1+
[05:40 pm] 08 November, 2006
more images This time yesterday it didn’t even occur to the
participants of the baptizing ceremony in Oshakan that the godfather
will not be alive soon. The godfather was famous singer Aram Asatryan
who died suddenly at about 07:00 p.m. yesterday. Asatryan was 53
years old.
According to eyewitnesses, he was in high spirits till the end. He
told the participants of the party that they would have a wonderful day
together. But shortly after that Aram Asatryan lost consciousness right
in the hall. He was taken to hospital immediately, but the doctors
failed to save his live. According to them, he died from heart attack.
Aram Asatryan was born on March 3, 1953, in Echmiadzin. He had three
sons and a daughter. One of his sons died a few months ago at the age
of 30. Could the personal grief be the reason for his death? Asked
this question his press secretary Hrachuhi Yeranosyan answered,
“He never spoke about his problems”.
Aram Asatryan arrived in Armenia from the USA five days ago. His
family is still in the States. On November 10 the presentation of his
new CD titled “My Sons” will take place in the Armenian Music Center.
After that he intended to go on a concert tour in Russia and Europe.
Tomorrow the singer’s family will arrive in Armenia to participate
in the funeral. According to the preliminary information, the Office
for the Dead will take place on November 10 at 06:00 p.m. in the
singer’s house in Echmiadzin. On November 11 the body will rest in
the concert hall after Aram Khachatryan in order to give his fans a
chance to say good bye to him. The funeral will take place on November
12 in Echmiadzin.
We managed to get the photos of the singer taken a few hours before
his death, as well as the video of the baptizing ceremony. Press the
“video” button in order to see part of the video.

ARMENIA WILL PROBABLY BE GIVEN MONEY
A1+
[03:09 pm] 08 November, 2006
“Armenia will most probably be financed by the “Millennium
Challenges” next year”, said US deputy Ambassador to Armenia, Anthony
Godfry. Nevertheless, the corporation council has not yet made that
decision.
Let us remind you that famous law-enforcement organization “Freedom
House” has called on “Millennium Challenges” not to finance Armenia
for not protecting human rights and freedoms.
By the way, the deputy Ambassador has underlined that Armenia must
do everything in order to organize free and fair elections in 2007.

NAIRA MELQOUMYAN WILL LEAVE FOR FRANCE
A1+
[06:32 pm] 08 November, 2006
Executive director of pan-Armenian fund “Armenia” Naira Melqoumyan
will leave for France on November 16 where the annual pan-European
phonethon will be held.
The geography and number of the participants of the pan-European
phonethon held on the eve of the telemarathon grows year by year. Naira
Melqoumyan will be present at the phonethon at the request of the
representatives of the local bodies of the Fund in Europe.
At the end of the phonethon the executive director of the fund will
leave for Los Angeles where on November 23 “Telemarathon-2006” will
be held. The financial means gathered this year will be spent on the
development of the region of Hadrut, NKR, within the framework of
the second phase of the program “Revival of Artsakh”.

MURDER REVEALED
A1+
[05:50 pm] 08 November, 2006
On November 4 the Central department of the police found the dead
body of Sasunik Petrosyan (b. 1968) in Nar-Dos 77/10. The body had
head injuries.
The police revealed that on November 3 at about 10:30 p.m. Petrosyan
was killed by Karen Ts. (b. 1964) in a quarrel.
The police has resorted to measures in order to find and arrest
Karen Ts. The case is being investigated by the Prosecutor’s office
of Kentron and Norq-Marash communities.

“KOCHARYAN IS SAHAKASHVILI’S MARIONETTE”
A1+
[06:53 pm] 08 November, 2006
How come people leave Javakhq for Armenia in order to tell about
their problems but meet violence against them instead?
The anti-criminal movement organized a closed discussion today in order
to answer this question. As a result of the discussion leader of the
New Times party Aram Karapetyan revealed, “In my opinion Kocharyan
has become the marionette of Sahakashvili”.
It can be inferred from the words of Karapetyan that Kocharyan
orders to punish our compatriots at the request of the Georgian
President. “Yes,- he claimed,- a year ago 11 people including Jirayr
Sefilyan were persecuted by the authorities for raising the problems
of Javakhq”.
According to the leader of the New Times party Robert Kocharyan has
two reasons for becoming the marionette of Sahakashvili, “Sahakashvili
is a pro-Western politician, and the RA authorities hope that he can
engage in their lobbying in the USA. Besides, the RA authorities have
once been engaged in weapon trade; the deals were made in Tbilisi. The
only way to export contraband from Armenia is through Georgia”.
Mr. Karapetyan found it necessary to underline that this is his
personal opinion. As for what happened with the weapon sent toe
Tbilisi, he asked us to find it out ourselves.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES ACCOUNT TO DECIDE ON ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA
Panorama.am
15:26 08/11/06
Anthony Godfry, temporary charge d’affaires of USA in Armenia,
said assistance to the republican will largely depend on “fair
administration of Armenia.”
America pays special attention to this issue. If the management of
Millennium Challenges Account decides that Armenia complies with this
requirement, it will take a decision at tomorrow’s board meeting of
the corporation to release funds to Armenia in the coming year. The
Board must also be sure that Armenia will conduct free and fair
elections at 2007 parliamentary elections.

KASPRZYK CONCERNED WITH INJURED RESIDENT AT ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER
Panorama.am
15:35 08/11/06
Andrzej Kasprzyk, personal representative of the acting chairman at
OSCE on Nagorno Karabakh, most probably will observe Tavush section
of Armenian-Azerbaijan border, Kasprzyk told Panorama.am.
Kasprchik is taking part in a conference organized by Wilton Park on
challenges in South Caucasus.
Panorama.am asked him on the recent incident in Tavush marz when
Azeri sniper shoot at a peaceful resident.
“I think the situation is quite stable during the recent few months,”
Kasprchik said also saying the incident is concerning. “Such cases
were reported in the past. But the fact that a person is injured is,
of coarse, concerning,” he said.

SIXTY PERCENT OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES IN VAYOTS DZOR TO BE REPLACED
Armenpress
Nov 08 2006
YEGHEGNADZOR, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: A special commission that was
set up in Vayots Dzor province to examine all geographic names of
the region has found that 60 percent of 2,861 such names need to be
changed because they are of foreign (mainly Turkic) origin and many
are not euphonic.
The commission has presented a list of new names to replace the old
ones. Local rural and urban communities gave their accord to changing
these names.
Now they are waiting for a special government decision to do it.
An official of the governor’s office said the proposed names are
either Armenian translations of Turkic names or the original names
of the places, rivers, lakes, mountains and other sites that were
replaced at one time by Turkic names.

NEW COMPANY GAINS DOMINANCE IN LOCAL SUGAR MARKET
Armenpress
Nov 08 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s state commission for
protection of economic cooperation has declared today the emergence of
a new company that has gained the dominating position in the country’s
sugar market.
The commission said Salex Group has replaced Flitfood company of
a parliament member Samvel Alexanian that accounted for almost 92
percent of sugar imports in 2005. The commission said the share of
Flitfood has dropped to 7 percent this year while Salex Group has
gained 91.4 percent of the market .
The commission chairman Ashot Shahnazarian said in the first six
months of 2006 there were 24 registered companies dealing with sugar
imports and production which altogether brought to Armenia 34,000
tons of sugar. Some 600 tons of sugar was produced in Armenia itself
and overall sales in the reported time amounted to 29,200 tons.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHIEF PROSECUTOR DECLINES INTENTIONS TO ENGAGE IN POLITICS
Armenpress
Nov 08 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s chief prosecutor Aghvan
Hovsepian declined today persistent media speculations that he was
going to engage in active politics. The prosecutor, Aghvan Hovsepian,
argued that some political forces were trying to drag the office of
prosecutor general’s into what he called ‘settling of scores.”
He said prosecutor general’s office was not going to respond to
ungrounded political statement. Speaking to reporters after a recurrent
session of the prosecutor’s office’s council, he said as long as he
remained the country’s prosecutor general none of his subordinates
would be dragged into political activity.
“So far I have been successful in keeping my subordinates away from
politics. Not a party has chapters in our office and none of my
subordinates boats membership with a political party,” Hovsepian said.
Hovsepian also denied rumors about his soonest resignation saying
he had no intention to take up any other job. “I shall work as
a prosecutor even if I am sent to the remotest region in Syunik
province,” he said.
He also said he was against his brother’s decision to run for the
position of prefect of a Yerevan district. “Though being a brother of
prosecutor general is not a special status, the brother of prosecutor
general is eligible to hold any position and do any job,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress