IMPORTANT URBAN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE CARRIED OUT IN YEREVAN IN FIRST HALF OF 2006
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
Several important urban construction project are implemented in the
capital of Armenia in the first sixth months, 2006, to the sum of
about 36,5 bln drams against the envisaged 34,2 bln drams, the Mayor of
Yerevan, Yervand Zakharian, said at July 31 press-conference, summing
up the first six months, 2006. According to him, 29,938 bln drams of
financial means fall on the state budget of communal administrations,
316,7 mln drams are the costs of city significance. Y. Zakharian
noted that implementation of programs to the sum of 53,275 bln drams
was envisaged in 2006 on the whole. However, in view of the created
conditions, favorable from the viewpoint of financing, this sum was
increased to 68 bln drams.
Touching upon the activity of communities, Y.
Zakharian noted that the costs of communal administrations made up 5,72
bln drams against the envisaged 6,4 bln. On the whole, the incomes of
communities increased by 53,8% as against the similar period, 2004,
and by 19,7% or by 942,1 bln drams as against the first sixth months,
2005. At that, the own incomes of communities for the last two years
increased 2,5-3 times which is conditioned on the increase of tax
collection for property and land.
By Karine Danielian

NEW UNDERGROUND STATION TO BE BUILT IN YEREVAN SOON
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
In 2008-2009, the construction of the new “Achapniak” underground
station will be completed in Yerevan.
Yervand Zakharian, Mayor of Yerevan City, said this at today’s press
conference. He said that the construction of “Achapniak” underground
station began few years ago, but wasn’t completed because of the lack
of financial sources. According to the plans of the previous years,
about $22 million were required for the construction works. In 2007,
new project account documents will be elaborated for the construction
works. As for the transport issues, Zakharian said that in September
2006, new 76 “Bogdan” mini busses will be brought to Yerevan. Besides,
25 new Russian trolley busses will be purchased for the capital. Each
of the trolley busses costs $70 thousand. The Mayor’s Office also
envisages to complete the renovation works of the bus stations, 100 of
which will be exploited already in September. In total, AMD 1,6 billion
of work was carried out in the sphere of the capital’s transport.
By Karine Danielian

YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE TO SETTLE ISSUE OF DAMAGED HOUSES
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Urban Construction Issues
The Yerevan Mayor’s Office is going to settle the issue of the 3and 4
grade damaged houses. Yervan Zakharian, Mayor of Yerevan, said this at
today’s press conference. He said that this year they have restored
11 damaged houses in the capital and spent AMD 785 billion on this
purpose. He added that AMD 1,57 billion were allocated from RA State
Budget to secure the residents of the 4 grade damaged houses with
homes. It is planned to exploit 3 buildings, including two newly
built and 1 restored, by the end of the year. He said that three
other houses will be exploited next year with the same purpose.
By Karine Danielian

ARMENIAN BANKS AND RA CENTRAL BANKS UNITE EFFORTS TO REDUCE SHADOW ECONOMY
AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006
Economy
On July 31, in the course of the joint meeting of the Union of
the Armenian Banks and RA Central Bank, it decided to carry out
joint arrangements directed to reduction of the shadow economy
and activation of the banks in the crediting market. Chairman of
RA Central Bank Tigran Sargsian and Stepan Gishian, chairman of
Board of the Union of the Armenian Banks, stated about this in their
speeches. They stated that the level of shadow economy is quite high
in Armenia and this hinders the fair competition. Sargsian stated
that the banking system of Armenia functions out of the shadow and
its published indicators fully reflect the reality. He added that
due to its adequacy and liquidity, the banking system of Armenia is a
rather high level. The ROA and ROE profitability level of our banking
system is even higher than that of the European countries. Sargsian
said that in the coming few years the high level of profitability will
secure stability and high tempos of development for the banking system
of Armenia. In his turn, S. Gishian pointed out the main strategic
lines for the development of the Union of the Armenian Banks for
2006. This deepening of cooperation between UBA and RA Central Bank,
RA Government and RA Parliament, with the European Banking Federation,
application of new daft laws for will contribute to the improvement
of the legislative climate and development of the banking system of
Armenia. Touching upon the achievements fixed in the banking system
of Armenian in 2005, Gishian said that the GDP grew by 13,9%, the
common actives of the banks by 21,2%, common capital by 46,6%, the
volume of credit investments by 36%, the profitability of the capital
by 15,3%. In 2005, the liquidity of the banking system made 41,8%,
the credit rates decreased by almost 4 times. Gishian stated that RA
Central Bank will coordinate the steps envisaged for 2006. Five banks
of Armenia participated in today’s meeting, particularly, Areximbank,
Armenian Development Bank, “Ararat” Bank, ArmInvestBank and Unibank.
By Ara Martirosian

LEBANESE MEDIA RESPONDS TO AID RENDERED BY ARMENIA
Panorama.am
15:09 01/08/06
The humanitarian assistance rendered by the Armenian government is
already in Lebanon. It was dispatched via Syria and handed over the
High Commission on Humanitarian Aid in Lebanon.
“The humanitarian assistance weighing 7.5 tones consists of 52 types
of medicine and first aid medical items. It will alleviate the state
of Lebanese population to some extent,” Armenian foreign policy
agency says.
Armenian foreign ministry press office told Panorama.am that
Lebanese media extensively responded to this humanitarian action
by Armenia. Both Lebanese Armenian and Arab language newspapers
covered stories on this humanitarian aid, among them Al-Mustakbal,
As-Safir, An-Nahar, Al-Balad dailies. The topic is also covered by
some of biggest Lebanese TV Channels, including Al-Mustakbal, LBC
and NBN. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SKINHEADS ATTEMPT TO SET MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE IN ROSTOV
Panorama.am
15:14 01/08/06
At July 31 night, a barbarian act was committed against a monument
of Armenian culture in Rostov-na-Dony. Unknown people, who experts
believe were skinheads, tried to set the Museum of Russian-Armenian
Friendship on fire. The museum is located at temple Surb Khach of
the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The barbarians could not get into the temple but broke and burned
metal-plastic windows. The museum employees noticed the damage when
they came to work in the morning, Yerkramas newspaper, an Armenian
newspaper in Russia, reports. Experts believe that the damage is
caused by skinheads judging by nationalistic signs made on the walls
of the temple, saying “Russia to Russians!” “Time for white judgment
has come!”, “Push the pedal, beat Khachiks!”. Law officials of Russia
have not come with any verdict yet. /Panorama.am/

ARMENIAN SINGER THE 9TH AT INTERNATIONAL SONG CONTEST
Panorama.am
15:16 01/08/06
Razmik Amian, a young singer from Armenia, took the 9th position at an
international contest of pop music “New Wave 2006′ in Yurmala. Anjeli
La Rouse from USA was announced as the winner of the contest over
scoring her contender Janny Fiorellino from Italy by 3 points. Georgian
singer Sofiko took the third place. This is the fifth year that the
New Wave takes place in Yurmala. Its award fund makes up $100 000 to
be divided among first, second, third places (50, 30 and 20 thousand
respectively)./Panorama.am/

EVACUATION OF ARMENIANS FROM LEBANON TO CONTINUE AUGUST 3
Panorama.am
16:34 01/08/06
Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight of Armavia will bring the next group
of Lebanese Armenians to Armenia on August 3, Vladimir Karapetyan,
acting press spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
told Panorama.am. Karapetyan said the Armenian embassy goes on listing
people willing to arrive in Armenia. However, their number has gone
down, Karapetyan said.
The press spokesperson of the Armenian MFA said there are no Armenian
casualties among the victims. Up to today, 730 persons have been
transported to Armenia from Lebanon, 40 percent of them being Armenian
citizens. /Panorama.am/

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF BLUE SHIELD CALLS ON CONFLICTING PARTIES
IN MIDDLE EAST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF CULTURAL PROPERTY
Armenpress
YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS: ICOMOS International Secretariat
representative informed Armenpress that the International Committee
of the Blue Shield (ICBS) has released a statement on threatened
cultural heritage in the Middle East conflict.
The statement particularly says “The International Committee of
the Blue Shield (ICBS) deplores the unacceptable loss of human
lives, the considerable suffering, the rapid displacement of entire
communities, and the destruction that are currently taking place in
areas administered by Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. It
is also extremely concerned by the threat that the present conflict
could escalate still further.”
In the statement the committee calls on all parties to be respectful of
the cultural property in the region as cultural property is priceless
and irreplaceable, of vital importance not only to each community,
but also to humanity.
“It is universally recognized that this region has an extremely rich
cultural heritage, which has had a profound and lasting influence on
peoples throughout the world. This is demonstrated by the significant
number of sites in both Israel and Lebanon inscribed on the UNESCO
World Heritage list. The total or partial loss of cultural properties
in the area would seriously impoverish the collective memory of
mankind.
It would be a great tragedy if this is allowed to happen. ICBS
therefore calls on all parties to take the greatest possible care
to protect the rich cultural heritage of the region and to take the
necessary preventive measures to ensure that it is not damaged in
any way during the present conflict,” the statement says.
In the statement the ICBS also says that being keenly aware that there
are other compelling concerns at times of armed conflict, not least
the loss of human life, it wishes to stress that international law
prohibits the use of cultural property for military purposes or to
shield military objectives and urges all parties concerned to respect
the provisions of The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural
Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols, as
well as the 1972 World Heritage Convention, which calls on countries
‘not to take any deliberate measures which might damage directly or
indirectly the cultural and natural heritage’ in the territory of
other countries that are party to this Convention. Israel and Lebanon
have ratified both of these Conventions.
ICBS was founded in 1996 ‘to work to protect the world’s cultural
heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters’.

“I WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH THE CRIMINAL”
Lragir.am
02 Aug 06
Recently the press has been publishing information and suggestions
that the accumulation of the administrative and criminal resource
around the Republican Party is done for the former prime minister of
Armenia Armen Sargsyan to make him president in 2008. Armen Sargsyan
is also said to be likely to try to round up the so-called liberal
sphere for the political plans of Serge Sargsyan. Officially, Armen
Sargsyan did not deny or confirm these rumors, however, our sources
inform that Armen Sargsyan assured in a narrow circle that he “never
cooperated with the criminal and will never cooperate”, hinting at
the notorious “super political party”.