BIRD FLU IS PROFITABLE

Lragir.am
05 June 06

The board of directors of the World Bank confirmed the 6.25 million
dollar loan to Armenia for the prevention of the bird flu. This was
reported by the World Bank Country Manager Armenia Roger Robinson
on June 5 in Yerevan. He also mentioned that the implementation of
the program for the prevention of the bird flu will be supported by
a 804 thousand dollar grant of the Japanese government.

According to Robinson, the program is designed to cover the cases when
a danger of spread of the bird flu occurs. Robinson said the program
has four main components: health, internal measures, awareness of
population and compensation to farmers who may suffer from a possible
epidemic. The loan is granted for 40 years, with a grace period of
ten years.

CHESS TEAM OF ARMENIA ACHIEVES THE OLYMPIC GOLD

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 10:24

Men’s chess team of Armenia achieved gold medals at the 37th World
Olympic Games in Turin. In the last decisive game Armenians played
a draw with the Hungariam team. This was just enough to achieve the
desirable Olympic gold. Our team showed a wonderful result in Turin. It
was the only one to have no defeats in the tournament, registering 10
victories and 3 draws. Our rival in the last round was the Hungarian
team, which was occupying the 5th place with 30.5 points. The last
game was entrusted to Levon Aronyan, Vladimir Hakobyan, Karen Asryan
and Gabriel Sargsyan, who fully realized the trust, registering the
recurrent chess achievement of Armenia.

We congratulate al the chess players and all our compatriots on the
occasion of this great victory.

STEVEN MANN: PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN DEMONSTRATE INTEREST IN DISCUSSIONS

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 13:54

“Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan demonstrate interest in
discussions,” said OSCE Minsk-Group Co-Chair Steven Mann, commenting
on Kocharyan-Aliev talks held in Bucharest.

Does the fact that it is two days that the talks are continuing mean
that certain progress was achieved at negotiations yesterday? In
response to the question, Steven Mann noted the Co-Chairs always
anticipate progress.

Refusing to report any details of yesterday’s talks, the American
Co-chair did not rule out that it will be possible to report more
precise information after today’s meeting.

Today RA President Robert Kocharyan had a meeting with the Foreign
Minister of Belgium, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel de Gucht. During
the meeting the parties discussed the prospects of settlement of the
Karabakh conflict as the regional developments.

President of Romania Traian BÄ~Csescu. The same topics were discussed
also during the meeting with Deputy Assistant to US President on
Security Issues J.

Crauch and EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus Peter
Semneby.

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev also met Karel de Gucht,
J. Crauch and Peter Semneby.

–Boundary_(ID_QAWRJ2p5fiGikXuT2rR+xw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WORLD BANK SUPPORTS ARMENIA’S EFFORTS TO FIGHT AVIAN INFLUENZA

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 13:05

The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a credit of
US$6.25 million for the Avian Influenza Preparedness Project (AIP)
for Armenia. This project will assist the Government of Armenia in
minimizing the threat posed to humans by avian influenza infection in
domestic poultry and prepare for the control and response to influenza
pandemic and other infectious disease emergencies in humans.

The AIP project has three components. In the animal health sector
it will target the prevention, control and eradication of the avian
influenza virus through improved surveillance, strengthened detection
capacity of the reference laboratory and improved bio-safety in
the poultry sector. In the human health sector the project will
reduce the impact of a pandemic influenza virus through year-round
surveillance, effective and accurate methods of diagnosis, social
distance interventions and strengthened medical services. The
project will target also public awareness to increase the attention
and commitment of government, the private sector and civil society,
and to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding among the general
population about the risk and potential impact of a pandemic.

EXTERMINATION OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL PRESENCE IN NAKHICHEVAN – OUTCOME OF BAKU CRUEL POLICY

Yerkir
05.06.2006 12:30

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian cultural monuments of Nakhichevan can
be spoken about only in the past tense, Hayk Demoyan, Candidate
of Historical Sciences, told journalists. “This was an outcome of
vandalism policy of Azerbaijan against Armenian monuments for many
years,” he said.

According to Demoyan, such cruel policy is being pursued in Azerbaijan
for many years at the state level. In his words, full extermination
of the Armenian cultural presence in Old Jugha was a logical outcome
of that policy, reports Novosti-Armenia.

TURKEY USES ‘RESTORATION’ AS NEW METHOD TO DESTROY ARMENIAN MONUMENTS

Yerkir
05.06.2006 12:29

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Turkey uses new methods to destroy Armenian
cultural monuments, Candidate of Historical Sciences Hayk Demoyan told
journalists.”If earlier monuments were openly destroyed in Turkey,
the situation has changed drastically lately,” the historian notes.

In his words, “restoration works” are held in Ani and in Akhtamar
Island at the moment. Demoyan said that under the pretence of
“restoration” Turkish authorities complete the genocide of Armenian
monuments, that they launched already in 1915 – simultaneous to the
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.

“Not only 1.5 million Armenians were destroyed by Turks at the time,
but also thousands of Armenian cultural monuments,” the historian said,
reports Novosti-Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMIT OF THE BLACK SEA FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND PARTNERSHIP

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 11:30

Summit of the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership will be
held today in Bucharest. The event will be attended by Presidnets,
Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers from a number of countries,
high officials from EU, NATO, OSCE and the Council of Europe,
representatives of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization,
as well as experts from Europe and South America. The summit aims
at activating the ties and cooperation with all interested parties,
governments and NGOs in the Black Sea region. The Armenian delegation
is headed by President Robert Kocharyan.

NOTHING DEFINITE WAS SAID ABOUT CHIRAC’S VISIT

Lragir.am
05 June 06

“I will only say that if a French-Armenian high level visit,
particularly, a visit of the president of France took place, I am sure,
the French president would first visit the French University.

That’s it,” said the French Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny to the
reporter of Lragir.am. And our reporter had enquired about a possible
visit of Jacques Chirac to Armenia in 2006. “You know it is an honor
for any ambassador when his president, the head of state, visits the
country where the ambassador is appointed. That’s it,” said Henry Cuny.

The ambassador gave this answer during an event, devoted to the French
University. In Armenia they are already preparing seriously for the
visit of Chirac. The reception room of the presidential residence is
being repaired, most probably as part of these preparations. Meanwhile,
the French ambassador is reluctant to even hint that this visit may
take place in 2006.

27TH FULL SESSION OF PABSEC TO START IN YEREVAN

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 12:43

June 6-8 the 27th full session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) will be held in Yerevan.

June 6 the 34th sitting of the PABSEC Bureau will be held at the
National Assembly, which will be followed by 27th sitting of the
Standing Committee, and the extraordinary sitting of the PABSEC
Standing Commission on Economic, Trade, Technology and Ecology Issues.

The Assembly will first adopt the agenda of the session. Reference
will be made to issues of new mandates, the memorandum of the 26th
session held November 22-24 in Tirana and the report on the activity
of the Parliamentary Assembly will be ratified.

Cultural, educational, social and financial issues are on the agenda
of discussions on June 8. The place and date of the fall session of
the PABSEC will be determined, the presidency over the Parliamentary
Assembly will be transferred to Milli Mejlis of the Republic of
Azerbaijan.

In the framework of the 27th session of the PABSEC Chairman of the
National Assembly Tigran Trorosyan will have bilateral meetings with
representatives of international parliamentary structures and heads
of national delegations.

RF SENATOR LEVON CHAKHMAKHCHYAN ARRESTED WHEN TAKING A BRIBE OF US $300 THOUSAND

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2006 14:49

Levon Chakhmakhchyan, representing the Parliament of the Republic of
Kalmikia at the Russian Federal Council, was arrested when taking a
bribe of US$300 thousand. “Vzglyad” business paper informs that the
special operation was held on June 2 in Moscow. The money confiscated
from Levon Chakhmakhchyan was marked with special matter and it did
not make difficulty for security service employees to find out the
origin of these.

According to the data of the Federal Security Service, the confiscated
cash was just part of the bribe. The rest of the sum had to be
transferred to a bank account. The whole sum totaled US$1.5 million.

“According to “Interfax,” Chakhmakhchyan declared, “he touched neither
the money nor the bag, and he did not even know what was in it.”

Chakhmakhchyan’s son-in-law, assistant to the Auditor of the Counting
Chamber was also arrested. Chakhmakhchyan considers this is also part
of the persecution against him.

The above-mentioned special operation became a new link in the circle
of resignations at the higher Chamber of the Russian Parliament. To
remind, late in May Head of the Nenets Autonomy Alexey Barinov was
also arrested. He was charged with financial machinations, which cost
the state 19 million rubles.

Following this, three senators – Boris Gutin, Alexandr Adabashyan
and Igor Ivanov prematurely terminated their liabilities.

June 2 the Federal Council terminated the liabilities of Senator Arkadi
Sargsyan, representing the Parliament of the Republic of Khakasia.