DUAL POWER EMERGED INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, SAYS THE EXPERT OF ELECTION SYSTEMS
Lragir.am
25 July 06
The expert of Election Systems Center Arthur Aftandilyan comments
on the results of the conference of the Republican Party for
Exclusive.am. “The election of Serge Sargsyan as chair of the Council
of the Republican Party led to a political and structural dual power
(conflict of powers). If you read the powers of the council and the
leader of the party in the bylaws of the Republican Party, you will
see the conflict of powers. The essense of the political dual power
is that Serge Sargsyan entered the leadership of the Republican Party
with his team, which is different from the old team and accepts only
one leader. This duality will manifest itself in further developments
inside the political party and internal competition. Will it hinder
or favor the pre-election campaign? It will become clear this fall.
Nevertheless, the recent developments connected with the Republican
Party spur the development of the system of political parties in
Armenia. I think it is the turn of the opposition. If they manage
to establish an equal alliance and choose a correct strategy, we all
will benefit.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MONEY FOR THE POOR GOES TO THE NON-POOR
Lragir.am
25 July 06
34 percent of the population of Armenia is below the bottom line
of poverty, stated Artsvik Minasyan, deputy minister of work and
social security, July 25, reports the news agency ARKA. 34 percent is
over 1 million people. About 200 thousand people are extremely poor.
Considering that officially the population of Armenia is 3.2 million,
at least 1/3 of the population of Armenia is poor.
The deputy minister said Armenia needs 54.4 billion drams to combat
poverty, which is 2.9 percent of the GDP of Armenia. At the same
time, Artsvik Minasyan said in fact much more funds are required,
because 40 percent of benefits for the poor goes to the non-poor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan met Stepan Demirchyan
ArmRadio.am
25.07.2006 17:25
July 25 NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan received President of
the Democratic Party of Armenia, Head of the “Justice” faction
of the National Assembly Stepan Demirchyan. Acting Spokesman of
NKR President told “ArmInfo” that during the meeting Mr. Demirchyan
presented his impressions from the journey to Artsakh. The guest said
he is impressed with what he saw and noted that the war consequences
are being eliminated and the progress is apparent. The interlocutors
dwelt on a number of questions of the NKR socio-economic agenda.
At the guest’s request, Arkadi Ghukasyan turned to the current stage
and prospects of the negotiations process over the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict.

Nagorno Karabakh Will Take Part in Talks Sooner or Later without Fail
25.07.2006 16:22
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – “I do not think the mediators have new proposals. In
any case the visit of US co-chair is a good opportunity for us to
present our position to Matthew Bryza and other co-chairs,” President
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) Arkady Ghoukassian stated,
when commenting on the coming regional visit of OSCE MG US Co-Chair
Matthew Bryza, including that to Stepanakert.
At that Ghoukassian noted that NK participation is necessary not
only to the NKR itself, but also the settlement process on the
whole. “Sooner or later NK will take part in the talks without fail,
as the problem cannot be solved without taking into account the
opinion of the NKR people. When will this happen?.. I do not think
Azerbaijan is ready to dialogue with NK today.
Azerbaijan avoids talks with us, as the Azeri position is destructive,”
Arkady Ghoukassian said. When answering a question on holding a
repeated referendum over the NK status, the President noted that
the referendum was already held in NK and its returns are clear to
everyone. “If we had guarantees that the international community
will recognize tomorrow’s referendum, we would think over it,” the
NKR President said, reports IA Regnum.

CIVIL MOVEMENT IS POSSIBLE
Lragir.am
25 July 06
Over the past seven days the Lragir conducted a poll to find out
the opinion of its readers whether a civil movement is possible in
Armenia. 36 percent of the readers of the Lragir voted “yes”, 33 voted
“no”. 31 percent voted for the answer “not now”. Hence, the results
of the poll suggest that 67 percent think a civil movement is possible
in Armenia.

Ancient Urartian inscription disappears in Iran
IranMania News, Iran
July 26, 2006
LONDON, July 26 (IranMania) – An inscription of Urartian king Ishpuini
(circa 830-810 BC) has disappeared from Baraghaneh Mountain, near
Bukan in West Azarbaijan Province, the Persian service of CHN reported.
A team of experts from the Language and Dialect Research Center of
the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization studying in the region
recently discovered that the inscription was not in its place.
The director of the Cultural Heritage Guards of the province said
that he had not been informed about the incident.
“The research center dispatched a group in order to film the position
of the inscription,” research center director Rasul Bashshash said.
“The inscription had been discovered by a team of mountain climbers
in 1997, but the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization was only
informed about it in 2005,” he explained.
The inscription had been written in cuneiform.
Ishpuini was the son of Sarduri I (circa 840-830 BC). Only a few
inscriptions about his reign remain in the ancient Urartian capital
Tushpa (Turushpa), modern Van in Turkey.
Urartu was an ancient country of Southwest Asia centered in the
mountainous region southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the
Caspian Sea.
Today the region is divided among Armenia, eastern Turkey, and
northwestern Iran.
Mentioned in Assyrian sources from the early 13th century BC, Urartu
enjoyed considerable political power in the Middle East in the 9th
and 8th centuries BC. The Urartians were succeeded in the area in
the 6th century BC by the Armenians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GAME CONFERENCE ON TOPIC “NUCLEAR CRISIS OF NORTHERN KOREA” TO BE
HELD JULY 25 IN YEREVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 25, 2006
YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. A game conference on modeling of the UNO on
the topic “Nuclear Crisis of Northern Korea” will be held in Yerevan
July 25.
The press service of the UNO office in Armenia, 30 students from
different universities of Armenia will attend the conference. By
using diplomatic skills the Armenian students will repeat the work
of the UN Security Council.
The conference will also be attended by Minister of Culture and
Youth Afairs Artur Poghosyan, Head of the department for youth at
the Ministry of Culture Arsen Soghomonyan and special assistant of
the Foreign Minister Salbi Ghazaryan.
The conference is organized by the Armenian Association of the UNO
under the support of the UN department for public information.
Modeling of the UNO is repetition of the work of the authorities of the
organization. The participants perform the role of diplomats of the UN
member countries and discuss the issues currently in the UN’s agenda.
Over 20 modelling are held each year. The aim of the activity is to
assist students in acquiring skills and knowledge at negotiations in
the sphere of international relations. R.O.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Defense Minister Serge sargsyan received Peter Semneby
ArmRadio.am
25.07.2006 17:55
July 25 Secretary of the Presidential council on National Security,
RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation headed by
EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby.
The meeting was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Armenia
Mrs. Haike Peitsch.and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of Finland Mrs. Terry Hakkala.
During the meeting the parties turned to the Individual Partnership
Actions Plan. The interlocutors exchanged views on the peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the relations with neighboring
countries.
Peter Semneby reconfirmed EU’s readiness to assist Armenia in the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Reference was made to the involvement of the European Union in the
forthcoming elections.

RETRAINING WORKSHOP FOR ECONOMIC JOURNALIST TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 25, 2006
YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. The Competitive Armenian Private
Sector Project (CAPSC) is organizing a retraining workshop for
Armenian journalists specializing in economic subjects on July 31.
The CAPSP reports that the goal of the workshop is explaining to local
journalists the main tasks of competitiveness as well as facilitating
the enhancement of competitiveness in certain fields of Armenia’s
economy. The workshop participants will also discuss such topics as
“Determining the economic competitiveness of a company, cluster or
country”, “Methods of encouragement of long-term changes in certain
countries”, “CAPSP’s approaches to tasks of this type in Armenia”,
and “Building up cooperation with Armenian mass media”. Among the
workshop participants will be Director of the research center “Economy
and Values” Manuk Hergnyan, who is to present a modern-day concept
of competitiveness and its application in Armenia.
During the second part, CAPSP’s representatives will present the
results of their work in the IT and tourist spheres. A wide range
of competitiveness-related issues will be considered at the final
press conference. The goal of the USAID-sponsored CAPSP is raising
the employment level in Armenia through encouraging the development
and improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises
of the country.
The CAPSP envisages the formation of task groups in each economic
sector, improvement of business abilities, as well as contribution
to the formation of labor force and development of skills. P.T. -0–

Azeri youth representatives revealed Armenia’s occupation policy in All-Russian youth camp
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 26, 2006
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
The representatives of Azeri youth raised Nagorno-Karabakh issue
at All-Russian youth camp, Trend reports quoting Elnur Mamedov,
co-founder of “Ireli” youth movement, who is taking part in the event.
During the event that takes place July 20 to 26, 2006 in Tver Region,
representatives of “Ireli” movement reportedly met with head of Russia’
largest youth movement “Nashi”
Vasily Yakimenko.
Besides, said Mamedov, they met with deputy Minister of Defense of
Russia and governors of regions of Tver and Krasnoyarsk, who also
took part in the event. At the meeting, he said, issues concerning
Azerbaijan were discussed. “The min issue we were concerned in was
the certain problems our compatriots face in Russia. Governors said
there is no reason for concern”, said Mamedov.
Mamedov said it was not allowed to raise any nationalism-related
issues in the camp. “We wanted to lead a round table on
Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite their refusal, we told the camp participants
of this problem as much as possible. Since most participants knew
about Nagorno-Karabakh only from Armenian sources, we revealed the
truth”, said Mamedov.