DISCUSSIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
By Karine Danielian
AZG Armenian Daily
24/10/2006
The impacts and conclusions of the Kyoto Protocol were discussed at
the Tekeyan Cultural Association, Yerevan, on October 20. To remind,
this is the European Commission’s regional project.
Armenia joined the Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol
in 1993. Developing countries (Armenia among them) do not have to
meet obligations on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG)
but do have to apply technologies contributing to reduction of
greenhouse gases. It’s expected that the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization’s project on climate change will grant
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova technical assistance for
creation of clean development mechanism (CDM). In accordance with
the government’s decision, the Ministry of Ecology has already set
empowered body to systematize the process of CDM.
The process of creation of the CDM has been launched at Noubarashen
dump in Yerevan. This project of 8 million is financed by the
Japanese. The dump GHG will be accumulated and burnt in gas engines
to generate electricity. For 16 years it’s planned to reduce by 100
thousand tones the emission of methane.
This will not be the only CDM project in Armenia.
Other projects are waiting to be confirmed. For instance, Mika Cement
CJSC will implement the project of reducing emissions during cement
production.
Projects similar to that of Noubarashen are going to be carried out
in the dumps of Gyumri and Vanadzor.

ARMENIA MAY HAVE NATIONAL ANTHEM WITHOUT LYRICS
AZG Armenian Daily
24/10/2006
After long-lasting public discussions and debates of musical experts,
the commission formed for selection of Armenian new state anthem
approved the music composed by the great Armenian composer Aram
Khachaturian for the anthem of the Soviet Armenia. At the same time,
the commission disapproved of all of the 85 texts for the anthem
submitted for the commission’s consideration.
At present, in case, RA Government and RA National Assembly approve
the abovementioned decision of the commission, our country may have
an anthem without any lyrics for a while, until a new competition
for the anthem text is announced. The royalties for the best music
amounts to AMD 700, 000. Most likely this sum will be transferred to
Aram Khachatrian’s Memorial House.
It’s worth mentioning that the majority of the Armenian intelligentsia
have disapproved the previous anthem.

TARLOYAN BROTHERS REPRESENT HIGH FASHION COLLECTION IN YEREVAN
AZG Armenian Daily
24/10/2006
Within the framework of the Days’ of French Culture in Armenia,
the high fashion collection of Tarloyan brothers, Paris residents,
was represented in Yerevan.
The collection was represented in Paris, as well. The collection
consisted of two parts. The first one was called “The Inquisition,”
while the second was entitled “The Escape.” In general, 7 Russian
and 14 Armenian models represented 150 dresses.

WESTERN ARMENIAN LITERATURE AND LITERATURE OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA TO BE DIGITALIZED SOON
By Melania Badalian
AZG Armenian Daily
24/10/2006
As a result of “Digital Library of Armenian Bibliography” project
launched at the American University of Armenia in 1999, the digital
collection of the Armenian literature of 5th to 18th centuries
was created. This initiative greatly contributed to spreading and
recognition of the Armenian Classical Literature. The readers may
find the digital version of the Armenia literature pieces at www
digitab.am. At present, thanks to the donation of Tourpanjian family
fund, the library launches the digitalization of the Western Armenian
and the Literature of the Armenian Diaspora of 1800-2000.
On October 10-12, the DIGITAB Coordination Scholarly Board held
its first sitting at the AUA. The members of the board, namely
Karo Armenian, Henrik Bakhchinian, Vazgen Gabirielian, Souren
Danielian, Albert Makarian, Albert Sharounian, Haroutiun Gevorgian,
Zhirayr Danielian, Mark Nshanian, Grigor Pltian, Poghos Snapian and
Harutyun Kyourkchian, discussed such issues as, the main principles of
digitalization, the lists of the authors and their works, the working
stages, as well as various issues concerning the copyright principles.
Certainly, the initiative of digitalization of the Western Armenian
and the Literature of the Armenian Diaspora will make these literature
pieces more available for everyone.
We believe that this important initiative would have been more
successfully and professionally implemented, if other Literature
critics from the Armenian Diaspora, such as Yervand Azatian, Oshin
Keshishian and Gevorg Bardakchian from USA, or Karo Abrahamian from
Lebanon and Yuri Khachatrian from Yerevan, were included in the
Digitab Scholarly Board.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN’S PRISONER STUDENTS
Idrak Abbasov, Baku
A1+
[08:17 pm] 23 October, 2006
A small group of Azerbaijani prisoners have taken college entrance
exams, but will others follow their example?
Eighteen-year-old Baku resident Akhmed Veliev was sentenced to three
years in prison a year ago for stealing from a building site. He now
hopes to become a qualified architect.
Veliev is one of eight young inmates who were admitted to college
after prisoners were allowed for the first time this year to take
exams behind bars.
The young prisoner will study in the architecture faculty of Baku’s
Engineering and Construction College. Before he went to jail, he had
not even thought of going to university.
“My father died in the battles for Nagorny Karabakh [in 1991-4],”
he told IWPR in prison. “There was no time to study. I earned money
washing cars to feed my mother and younger brother.”
When asked about his crime, he said, “The money I earned wasn’t
enough. So when my mother fell ill I stole materials from the
building site.”
Veliev is the beneficiary of a pilot project under which young
prisoners are being given the chance to receive an education for the
first time. The inmates were coached by five school-level teachers
inside prison.
Four other prisoners will join the environmental protection faculty
of the Azerbaijani Naval and Fishing Technical College. Others will
study insurance and English.
Nazim Alekperov, head of the justice ministry’s penitentiary service,
told IWPR, “I think that several young prisoners, serving sentences
of between three and ten years for grave and moderately grave crimes
have received a route back to normal life.”
However, although there is now school-level teaching inside Azerbaijani
prisons, there are currently no ways of getting a university-level
education there and no facilities for correspondence courses.
“To solve this problem we are studying international practice,” said
Alekperov, who recently received advice from a British delegation,
which included the former head of Penal Reform International, Baroness
Vivien Stern; the governor of Edinburgh prison, David Croft; and the
deputy head of the John Smith Memorial Trust, Joanna Lamb.
Malakhat Hasanova, a member of parliament and chair of the organisation
Women Leaders, one of the supporters of prison education, said that
there was currently neither the legislative basis nor the physical
conditions for prisoners to study while in detention.
Hasanova said that she was pressing for the law to be changed during
the current session of parliament – which has been welcomed by inmates
who see the value of education.
Eighteen-year-old Elshad Akhmedov was sentenced to ten years’
imprisonment two years ago for murder. “Shortly after I was arrested
I became completely disillusioned with life,” he said. “But now I
have the hope to be released and begin a normal new life.”
Rashid Mekhtiev, a 20-year-old born in Nagorny Karabakh, is serving a
sentence for rape about which he said, “I committed a serious crime
because I was a stupid boy. Every day I pray to Allah to forgive me
my sin.” Now he wants to learn English and go into business.
Eldar Zeynalov, director of the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan, is
full of praise for the new schemes but wants to see them extended. “It
is wonderful that young prisoners, who have not yet become hardened
criminals, are thinking about another non-criminal life and are
getting ready for their freedom,” he said.
Zeinalov said that in a prison system that he estimated had a
population of 18-19,000, around three hundred prisoners who were keen
to study.
He said he was particularly concerned about the life prisoners in
the Gobustan prison, as they have been denied any form of education
or training.
“Recently, a young prisoner Namig Veliev, who was sentenced at the
age of 19 and is now 29 was refused the right to extra-mural higher
education,” said Zeinalov. “He went straight from student life to a
death cell.
“All the courts without exception, not wishing to harm their relations
with the justice ministry, supported the prison administration. As
a result, the boy is now appealing to the European Court of Human
Rights.”
Alekperov said there were still legislative hurdles to overcome
“but as soon as these are solved we will gladly give all prisoners
the right to receive an education”.
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Caucasus Reporting Service
¹362 Idrak Abbasov is a journalist with Ayna newspaper in Baku
–Boundary_(ID_JcCcmbeS+2fOCULMj/bBSg)–

TAX REVENUES TO EXCEED 1 BILLION DRAMS IN 2007
Panorama.am
13:11 23/10/06
Tax revenue indicators will exceed 1 billion Armenian drams in the year
2007, deputy head of tax services, Armen Alaverdyan said. In his words,
revenues from income tax for the last 5 years have doubled. However,
he said this indicator does not meet the demands of the public and our
international rating. “A tradition must be developed in the public
to voluntarily pay taxes,” he said. He also said taxes will not go
up in the year 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INVESTMENT RUNS TO ELITE COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION
Panorama.am
13:57 23/10/06
Total of 19 billion Armenian drams investment has been made in
construction in the years 2003-2006. Twice as much is expected
to be invested, Karen Davtyan, vice mayor of Yerevan told a press
conference today. “The first phase of the Northern Alley construction
is successfully completed,” he said. Davtyan said investors have
larger interest in Kentron community for building apartment blocks
whereas in other communities more private houses are built. He said,
“Massive construction is expected in 2007.” Davtyan urged ordinary
citizens to take hypotecal credits if they want to live in elite
communities. Davtyan failed to see that ordinary citizens with their
salaries cannot do that especially that hypotecal credits are provided
on 12% high interest rate.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA DECLINED PROPOSAL TO CREATE INTERIM COMMITTEE ON GENOCIDE
Panorama.am
14:57 23/10/06
Opposition deputy Tatul Manaseryan made a proposal at the National
Assembly of Armenia to set up an interim committee on genocide of
Armenians. Deputy Hmaiak Hovhanisyan said the standing committee on
foreign relations must deal with the issue. Spartak Seiranyan from
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnakcutiun) said setting
up a committee may torpedo recognition of the genocide throughout
the world. He said if our discusstion may mean that we are not sure
if there was really a genocide or not. “The decision may put under
question the decisions of many parliaments throughout the world which
have already recognized and condemned the genocide,” he said. On the
other hand, Tatul Manaseryan believes, “We urge countries to recognize
the genocide but fail to fix it on legislative level.” He also said
Armenia does not have any law punishing refusal to recognize the
Armenian genocide like France does. Anyway, the draft decision on
setting up an interim committee on genocide was declined from the
big agenda and Manaseryan suggested to organize closed hearing on
the issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AND BELARUS PRIME MINISTERS HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON YEREVAN
Panorama.am
16:14 23/10/06
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan is content with the pace of
cooperation between the governments of Armenia and Belarus. “I am
content with today’s negotiations,” he told a press conference with
Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski.
Respective officials in the field of trade and economy, culture,
sports and tourism, social, customs signed documents today aimed to
bolster small and mid size business.
Prime Minister Sidorski who arrived with a big delegation late
yesterday said his country has high level of interest in high and
information technologies, cognac production and other fields of
Armenia. Sidorski said information technologies have high priority
both for Armenia and Belarus, saying his country has 40% of GDP in
information technologies.
Sidorski also said the two countries may seriously cooperate in the
field of energy. “Like Armenia, Belarus has no gas and oil,” Sidorski
said saying the president of the country has assigned the government
to cut fuel energy resources by 25% on behalf of alternative energy
sources.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

R.HAMBARTSUMIAN: RA SHOULD CONDEMN RUSSIA’S ACTIONS AGAINST GEORGIA
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Oct 23 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Russian
leadership unleashed act of terrorism against the Georgian Republic
and Georgian people and Russia’s punitive steps also do harm to
the Republic of Armenia by leading our country to a disastrous
blockade. This was said in the October 21 statement of Rafael
Hambartsumian, representative of the Union of National Unity.
In his words, Russia closes railway, motorway and air roads entering
Georgia, banishes citizens of Georgia, as well as Caucasians from
its country and spreads through media agitation of liquidating
Georgia’s state independence and splitting the country, etc. As the
statement authors mention, the most dangerous is that Russia strives
for turning difference of opinions between Armenia and Georgia in the
issue of Javakhk into an armed conflict for the purpose of making this
serve its interests. So, RA is obliged to undertake practical steps
to provide its security and to protect its military-political and
trade interests. Whereas, in R.Hambartsumian’s opinion, the Armenian
leadership has not clarified its attitude towards this conflict by now,
which has a negative impact on our country’s political authority and
security. “The Armenian leadership should officially condemn Russia’s
actions and mention that the Armenian people expects giving autonomy
to Javakhk from the Georgian leadership. RA should emphasize that
this step can lead Armenian-Georgian cooperation and friendship to
unprecedented level giving Armenia a legal basis for supporting Georgia
in infringements unleashed and to be unleashed against Georgia,”
the statement read.