RA PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO RF PRESIDENT ON OCCASION
OF TU-154 CRASH
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian sent a
message of condolence to RF President Vladimir Putin on the occasion
of the Russian Tu-154 plane crash in the region of Donetsk, Ukraine. As
Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA President’s Press Office, on behalf
of the Armenian people and himself, President Kocharian expressed deep
condolence and assistance to friends and relatives of the died people.

EUROPEAN EXPERTS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA IN EARLY SEPTEMBER TO DISCUSS
DRAFT ELECTORAL CODE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the preliminary
agreement, experts of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
and of the OSCE corresponding office will arrive in Armenia in early
September to jointly discuss with the Armenian parliamentarians the
draft amendments to the Electoral Code.
The mentioned experts’ those 5-6 proposals concerning the draft, on
which the political forces of the Parliament have no common approach,
will especially become the subject of the working discussions. Besides,
it’s envisaged to discuss jointly with the experts issues connected
with the votion order and appeal. NA Speaker Tigran Torosian stated
about it at the August 23 press conference. According to his words,
a work is being done at present in the direction of forming and
registering in the draft all those proposals of the experts concerning
which the working group consisting of the NA group and factions
representatives has had no objections. The NA Speaker also informed
that another draft on amendments to the Electoral Code was put into
the NA official circulation on the day of the press conference. NA
Deputy Victor Dallakian proposes by the draft to form the NA by 100%
proportional electoral order.
Presenting problems connected with the NA activity, T.Torosian
expressed an opinion that the autumn session work to start in early
September will be rather intensive what is provided by the necessity
that the constitutional amendments are reflected in the legislation. In
his words, the above-mentioned problems must be solved in the next,
2007 spring session as the latter will not be full, connected with
the parliament elections.

T.TOROSIAN: STRUCTURES BEARING NO RELATION TO NA ACTIVITY WOUND UP
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. NA Speaker Tigran Torosian presented
at the August 23 press conference processes existing at the NA
staff. It was particularly spoken about dissolution of few structures,
some structure changes what was recently rather stormily responded
in the press, especially by former NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian’s
com-partizans. Presenting reasonings for dissolution of every structure
in a rather detailed way, T.Torosian mentioned that he has no wish
“to estimate anybody’s works, steps taken in the past.”
“Everything that was done, was done only for one reason: I, as the NA
Speaker, is responsible for the quality of the NA staff’s work, and
steps were taken according to that responsibility and laws,” T.Torosian
said, assuring that structures bearing no relation to the NA activity
were wound up. The NA Speaker also stated that in total, 38 people
were discharged. He expressed a hope that in the case of existence of
vacancies at the NA staff, it will be possible to return some of the
above-mentioned employees to the staff. T.Torosian also informed that
he presented reasonings concerning structure changes before the press
conference, during the consultation convened at 11:00 in which heads
of the NA group and factions, except the OYP (Country of Law party)
representative, and Chairmen of Standing Committees participated. The
NA Speaker studied, within border of his commissions, the process
of implementation of the parliament budget as well, as a result of
what he prevented allocation of 10 mln drams, the second part of the
financing from the NA budget, to the Armenian-Russian Interregional
Cooperation center. It was envisaged during the recent two years to
allocate from the NA budget to the center 20 mln drams annually.
The sum was completely allocated in 2005, and only half of it in 2006.
T.Torosian mentioned that the NA may not be a donor organization,
especially for a structure bearing no relation to the NA, irrespective
of programs being implemented by the structure.

AS OF JULY 1, NUMBER OF PERMAMENT INHABITATION OF ARMENIA MAKES 3
MLN 219.4 THOUSAND PEOPLE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. As of July 1, 2006, the number of
permament inhabitation of Armenia made 3 mln 219.4 thousand people,
instead of 3 mln 215.8 thousand fixed as of the same day of the
previous year. According to data of the RA National Statistical
Service, as of early 2006, inhabitation at the able-bodied age made
64.6% of the number of permament residents, inhabitation below the
able-bodied age made 22.7%, and inhabitation upper the able-bodied age
made 12.7%. There are 548 elderly people and children against 1000
people at the able-bodied age of the republic. The natural growth
of inhabitation in the republic made 3144 people in January-June of
the current year what, compared with the same period of time of the
previous year, reduced by 12%.
17513 people were born and 14369 people died during those months,
intead of, correspondingly, 17447 and 13873 of the previous year. 246
cases of death of children below 1 year old were fixed in the first
half of the current year, instead of 199 cases of the previous year. 7
cases of maternal death during the childbirth and post-natal period
of time because of complications connected with pregnancy were fixed
during the same period of time, istead of 3 cases of January-June,
2005. 8163 marriages were fixed in the RA in January-June, what,
compared with the same months of 2005, reduced 3.5%, and 1520 divorces
were fixed, what increased 44.8%. So, there were 186 divorces against
1000 newly formed families in the first half of 2006, instead of 133
ones of the same period of time of 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Waverley Leader (Australia)
August 22, 2006 Tuesday
WGV Edition
Cultures connect in art
A NOVICE and an old hand will come together to exhibit their
paintings at Highway Gallery.
Diane Williamson said the Cultural Connections exhibition with
Beatrice Manoukian would celebrate both Aussie and Armenian cultures.
Williamson, a Mt Waverley resident, said a mutual admiration of each
other’s work brought them together.
“The message in both our work vibrates very clearly,” Williamson
said.
“We are all part of the one consciousness in the universe.
“Through this exhibition, we both came to realise that the many
ideals we shared is universal and not our own personal discovery.”
Williamson has been painting since she was two, but this will be her
first public exhibition, while Manoukian, who lives in Chadstone, has
been showing her paintings for a long time.
“Since we met, we have both worked closely together for the past 12
months to present a body of some 60 works celebrating our cultural
identities and the many things we share in common,” she said.
Manoukian said the large showcase was a “historical and educational
journey through the passage of time and background of both artists”.
“Some paintings tell a historical story, some are of childhood
memories, and some symbolically empathise with the difficulties
migrants experience in resettlement,” she said.
“Other paintings simply celebrate our beautiful country Australia
and the joy of living here.”
Cultural Connections runs from September 1 to 14 at The Highway
Gallery, 14 The Highway, Mt Waverley.

HUNTSMAN CORPORATION TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING CHARITY PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on August 23 the delegation
headed by Jon Huntsman, the founder and Chairman of the Huntsman
Corporation, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian attached special
importance to the great assistance shown to the Armenian people by
the coorporation, especially the investments made in the disaster
zone. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA
Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, J.Huntsman briefly
presented the programs implemented in Armenia by the corporation till
now, as well as those projects which they intend to implement in the
nearest future. He, particularly, envisages foundation of a hospital on
examining cancer and allocation of scholarship to people who wants to
get education in the U.S. The Huntsman corporation implements numerous
charity programs in Armenia. In parallel with the assistance shown
by a number of international organizations after the 1988 earthquake,
the corporation implemented numerous construction works in the disaster
zone and donated 2.1 mln U.S. dollars.
During the years after the disaster and till now, the Huntsman family
gave food, clothes, different domestic goods of total cost of 18 mln
U.S. dollars.
Family members paid about 40 visits to Armenia.

NUMBER OF CASES OF INTESTINAL DISEASES IN ARMENIA INCREASES IN JUNE
BY 78, COMPARED WITH SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. 22 cases of sickness with infectious
diseases were fixed in Armenia in June. According to the information
of the RA Health Care Ministry, in June, 25 cases of salmonellosis,
54 cases of viral hepatitis and 4004 cases of serious infections
of upper respiratory tracks, what, compared with the same period of
time of the previous year, reduced, correspondingly, by 13, 25 and 936
cases. 467 cases of serious intestinal diseases, 11 cases of HIV and 5
cases of syphilis were fixed in June of 2006, what, compared with June
of the previous year, is more by, correspondingly, 78, 1 and 3 cases.

RA PRIME MINISTER SENDS MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE ON OCCASION OF TU-154
PLANE CRASH
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
sent messages of condolence to Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Mikhayil Fradkov and Prime Minister of Ukraine Victor Yanukovish,
on the occasion of the crash of the Tu-154 plane implementing the
Anapa-Saint Petersburg flight. The crash took place in the marz of
Donetsk As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Government’s Information
and Public Relations Department, on behalf of the RA Government
and himself, Andranik Margarian expressed symphathy to families and
relatives of those died in the consequence of the disaster.

10 HECTARES OF FOREST BURNT IN SYUNIK ON AUGUST 23
KAPAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A forest with surface of 10 hectares
was burnt in the forest territory from Ghubatlu to the village of
Nor Arajadzor of the marz of Syunik on August 23. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Resque Service of the RA Territorial Administration,
a territory with surface of 4 hectares was burnt in the pasture of
the village of Hartashen of the marz on the same day.

OVER 10 HEAD OF CATTLE INFECTED WITH FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN ARTIK
GYUMRI, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. On August 22, 10-15 head of cattle had
symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease at the pasture “Artik Woodlands”
of Shirak marz. According to the veterinary of the city of Artik,
the symptoms were confirmed. NT was informed from the Rescue Service
of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration that the infected
cattle was disinfected and isolated.
Measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease.