COMMUNIST SAYS SONG OF STRONGMEN WOULD MAKE ANTHEM OF ARMENIA
Lragir.am
24 Aug 06
The leader of the Communist Party Ruben Tovmasyan thinks that under
the present government of Armenia the song of the strongmen (“Vot
Takaya Dolya Vorovskaya”) could be national anthem of Armenia, and
everyone would sing it except for the Communists.
With regard to the Commission on the Anthem of Armenia, Mr. Tovmasyan
said, “Look at them, Aram Khachaturyan’s work is in the fourth
place. I wonder who is in the first place.” On learning from the news
reporters that Tigran Mansuryan’s work is in the first place, he added,
“Mansuryan and Amirkhanyan should have been more modest.”
The Communists think that all this fuss about changing the anthem is
a disgrace for people, and the national anthem should not have been
discussed at all. Ruben Tovmasyan says they conducted a survey among
1014 people and only 30 people said they are against the anthem of
Soviet Armenia by Aram Khachaturyan.
In case the old anthem is changed, the Communists accept the music by
Aram Khachaturyan with new lyrics, although he says, “Sarmen’s lyrics
have prospect.” If it is not chosen either, let Mikhael Nalbandyan’s
anthem remain. His poem “Freedom” would be enough to recognize him
as Mikhael Nalbandyan.

NATO INFORMATION CENTER TO OPEN IN ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER
ArmRadio.am
24.08.2006 17:57
RA Government took the decision today, according to which t will
provide means from its reserve funds for renting the area for the
NATO Information Center in Yerevan, MEDIAMAX Agency informs.
In 2007 the rent will be paid from the state budget.
The NATO information center will be established and managed by the
“Armenian Center for Trans-Atlantic Initiative” NGO.

MONEY FOR CONSEQUENCES OF FIRES IN KARABAKH
Lragir.am
24 Aug 06
The Armenian government lends a hand to Nagorno Karabakh. This decision
was made on August 24. The government decided to allocate 300 million
drams from its reserve fund to the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy
to assist in recovering the damage caused to farmers by draft and
fires in the summer season in Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

TO RENT OFFICE FOR NATO
Lragir.am
24 Aug 06
The government of Armenia, which immediately finds place for cafes and
other public places, has been unable to find office space in the past
few months for the information center of NATO. This has been considered
since last autumn when Robert Simons, the special representative of
the Secretary General of NATO. It took the government of Armenia about
a year to settle the problem of office of the information center.On
August 24 the executive decided to allocate 3 m 200 thousand drams
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the reserve fund to open the
Information Center of NATO in Yerevan to cover office expenses in
September-december 2006.

OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATS VISIT RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA TO EXPRESS THEIR CONDOLENCES
ARMENPRESS
Aug 24 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS: Representatives of Armenian executive
and legislative powers, diplomats from USA, France, Germany, Italy,
Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Iran, Bulgaria, Romania, Syria, Turkmenistan
visited today Russian embassy in Armenia and put down their condolences
in the mourning book opened there today in connection with the crash
of the Russian airplane.
“We express our deep sorrow to the relatives of the victims of the
plane crash. They must feel that on this difficult moment they are
not alone,” Georgian temporary charge d’affaires in Armenia Georgi
Saganelidze told Armenpress.
Official from the embassy said that many people visited today the
embassy and expressed their grief and brought flowers.

ARMENIANS OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA TO HELP COMPATRIOTS IN LEBANON
AZG Armenian Daily
25/08/2006
Bishop Movses Movsisian, head of the Armenian Diocese in Southern
Russia, called for helping the Lebanese-Armenians and all Christians
of Lebanon, Yerkramas newspaper of Russian-Armenians reports. This
appeal to the flock of the Armenian Church states that the war brought
great suffering to all Lebanese people and that Catholicos of All
Armenian Karekin II has blessed all fund-raising initiatives to help
this people.

FAR ORGANIZES CAMPING OF CHILDREN FROM GYUMRI AND AVAN
AZG Armenian Daily
25/08/2006
Thanks to the initiative of Ken Maranian who arrived in Armenia in the
group of the Fund for Armenian Relief’s youth group and donations from
Texas’s Armenian community, 140 children from Gyumri spent a camping
holiday in a forest near Gyumri. Having restored the camping movement,
FAR organizes camping for children in different regions of Armenia.
Another group of 10 children from socially vulnerable families of Avan
borough is now enjoying its rest at “Lusaber” camp in Hanqavan. In
a few days they will enter the new academic year with bright memories.

2D ARMENIA-DIASPORA ECONOMIC FORUM WITH AROUND 1000 PARTICIPANTS
AZG Armenian Daily
25/08/2006
The 2d Armenia-Diaspora economic forum slated on September 20 will
have up to 1000 participants against 800 in 2003 Noyan Tapan news
agency quoted Tigran Davtian, deputy minister of economic development,
as saying. He explains the rising number of participants by the growth
of Armenia’s economic indices and investment attraction. Davtian says
that equal number of businessmen from Armenia and Diaspora has applied
for participation. It is expected that non-Armenian businessmen will
also take part mainly in the IT section. Besides, representatives
of international economic organizations, including ones that do not
operate in Armenia, will also take part in the forum.
The Pan-Armenian Expo “The Economy of Armenia During 15 Years of
Independence” exhibition will be held on September 22-25.

PROTEST ACTIONS WERE HELD IN SWEDEN AND CANADA IN RELATION WITH ANNIVERSARY OF OCCUPATION OF JABRAIL AND FIZULI
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 23, 2006
In relation with the 13th anniversary of occupation of Jabrail and
Fizuli districts of Azerbaijan, the Political Movements “Azerbaijan
way” held a protest action on August 23 in Stockholm (Sweden) and
Feyerbakh (Canada), Trend reports.
The action in Stockholm was held in the square of “Sergelstrob”.
During the actions, the photos of territories occupied by Armenians
and historical monuments destroyed by Armenians were demonstrated.
During the actions that were held under slogan “There is no Azerbaijan
without Karabakh”, it was required to fulfill four resolutions of
UNO and recognize Armenia as an occupant country.

AZERBAIJANI AND JORDANIAN GOVERNMENTS CONCLUDE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON BILATERAL COOPERATION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 23, 2006
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov today received the
delegation led by Abdullah Al-Khatib, Foreign Minister of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan.
The Ministry press service told the APA the discussions focused on
the opportunities of expanding cooperation between the two countries
in political, economic and other fields. The Jordanian delegation
was informed about the large-scale energy and transport projects
implemented in Azerbaijan.
Minister Mammadyarov also touched on Armenian aggression against
Azerbaijani territories, ethnic cleansing policy in these lands and one
million Azerbaijanis becoming refugees and internally displaced persons
as a result of Armenian occupation. He informed about the step-by-step
solution of the Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict within the Prague process.
The sides also exchanged views on the Middle East peace process,
Israel-Lebanon conflict and implementation of the UN Security Council
Resolution on this issue. Jordanian Foreign Minister expressed his
country’s position regarding the Middle East peace process.
In the end of the meeting, Azerbaijani and Jordanian governments
concluded a framework agreement on bilateral cooperation.