UN OFFICIAL PLEASED WITH ARMENIAN COOPERATION
Mediamax news agency
21 Aug 06
Yerevan, 21 August: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres
said today that he is pleased “with excellent cooperation” between
his organization and the Armenian government.
Speaking today at a news conference in Yerevan, Antonio Guterres
said he is ready to cooperate with the Armenian authorities to
resolve numerous problems which refugees from Azerbaijan are facing,
Mediamax reported.
The UN high commissioner for refugees expressed his hope that the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict would be settled as soon as possible and
stressed that achieving a peace agreement will considerably ease the
resolution of refugees’ problems.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan thanked Antonio Guterres
for the “gigantic assistance” that the UNHCR renders to Armenia.

IN OPINION OF VIASPHERE TECHNOPARK’S DIRECTOR GENERAL, 40-50 PROGRAM-FINANCING VENTURE FUNDS SHOULD OPERATE IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. To promote the formation and
activities of high technology companies in Armenia, it is necessary
that 40-50 venture funds on program financing operate at the same
time in Armenia, and the costs of the programs operating at a loss be
covered at the expense of other projects that make superprofits. Aram
Vardanian, director general of Viasphere Park, expressed this
opinion during a talk with NT correspondent. In his words, 3-4
experts of the technopark have submitted bids to get grants from the
1-mln-dollar venture fund of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and
Cascade Capital company, which was established by Cafesjian Family
Founadation. A. Vardanian said that these experts signed contracts
with Armenian enterprises to receive assistance with their scientific
developments in order to use them at their enterprises. They also
attended the courses organized in Boston with the assistance of the
US Civilian Research and Development Fund (CRDF) that supports the
venture fund. Bagrat Yengibarian, director of the Enterprise Incubator
Foundation, said that as of late July, 20 projects were submitted to
the Armenian venture fund, 50% of which were from biotechnologists,
40% – from IT experts, and the rest – from scientists engaged in other
spheres. According to him, the fund plans to increase its capital.

PLACE AND TERMS OF POSSIBLE MEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTERS DEFINED
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia has not got new proposals
concerning the Karabakh problem settlement from the OSCE Minsk
Co-Chairmen. Vartan Oskanian, the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs
stated about it at the August 21 press conference. In his words,
“as of this moment, a possible meeting of Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan is spoken about.” V.Oskanian also mentioned
that works are done at present in the direction of defining the
place and terms of the meeting. Touching upon the fires taken in the
territories adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh, the Minister mentioned:
“There are fires in Karabakh every year, but this year they covered
greater territories. And Azerbaijan’s speculations, as if they were
deliberate, are unintelligible for us.”
V.Oskanian stated that the Armenian side always agrees to cooperate
both with Azerbaijani side and international organizations in the
issue of putting out the fire.

NKR FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Georgi Petrosian, the NKR Minister of
Foreign Affairs received on August 21 Andrzej Kasprczik, the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Karabakh Conflict, by
the latter’s request. It is said in the information submitted to Noyan
Tapan by the NKR Permanent Representation to the RA. Issues of mutual
interest, particularly, problems provided by the fires arisen on the
contact line of the NKR and Azerbaijani Armed Forces were discussed at
the meeting taken place at the NKR Permanent Representation to the RA.

OFFICE OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES CONTINUES TO ASSIST ARMENIA IN PROVIDING REFUGEES WITH FLATS
Noyan Tapan
Aug 17 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Office of the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees has assisted and will continue assisting the Government of
Armenia in providing refugees with flats. Antonio Guterres, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, who is in Yerevan within the framework of a
regional visit, informed about it at the August 21 press conference. He
mentioned that registration of refugees is being implemented in Armenia
at present, what will allow to define the number of refugees who need
assistance. A.Guterres mentioned that the most important precondition
of refugees’ integration is their getting citizenship. According to
Guterres, there are two variants of giving citizenship: by the law,
to give citizenship to everybody or to give citizenship to those who
wants to accept it. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees mentioned
that not being a political organization, they are interested in the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. And the issue
of refugees’ return, according to his words, may be solved only as a
result of long and detailed negotiations. A.Guterres also mentioned
that for solution of that problem, an agreement on protecting people’s
property right must be reached between the two parties.

GALUST SAHAKIAN: “ACTIVE ACTIONS ARE EXPECTED IN POLITICAL FIELD IN AUTUMN”
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. “Political processes in Armenia
are still in changeable state: active actions will be in the
autumn.” Galust Sahakian, the head of the “RPA” faction of the RA
National Assembly expressed such a prevision at the August 19 press
conference. In his words, as much parties are organized, as much
the electoral mass will activize. According to the speaker’s words,
the most important task of both ruling and opposing forces is to
guarantee transparence of the expected elections. Speaking about
electoral falsifications, G.Sahakian mentioned: “Those scenes that
we had during the previous years, either will not exist or will be
milder.” According to his words, unification of the opposition will
also help accomplishment of just elections.
RPA faction head disproved rumours spread in press about strained
relations between him and Hovik Abrahamian, the RA Minister of
Territorial Administration. “Display of bad attitude towards a
politician is not proper for my political posture,” G.Sahakian said.

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE TO BE INVITED TO OPENING OF AGHTAMAR CHURCH
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 21 2006
ANKARA, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Atilla Goc, the
Minister of Culture of Turkey spoke on the previous day in Anakara
about those cultural surprises that the Government of Turkey has
prepared for this autumn. The main one among them is considered
to be re-opening of the Armenian Aghtamar church in the Lake Van,
after a long and expensive reconstruction work. As “Marmara” states
quoting the Turkish “Radical” newspaper, the Minister of Culture of
Armenia will also be invited to the opening ceremony of this Armenian
historic church. Prime Minister Recep Tyyip Erdogan will fulfil the
solemn opening. Representatives from countries like France, which
has adopted the law concerning the Armenian Genocide, will also be
invited to the event. “The Aghtamar church will be opened in front
of the whole world, we invite tourists of all over the world for they
come and see that we spent 4 billions on reconstruction of Aghtamar,”
the Minister of Culture of Turkey said.

SYNOPSYS ARMENIA TO BE LOCATED AT VIASPHERE TECHNOPARK
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The company Synopsys Armenia, a branch
of Synopsys (US) – international leader in chip design and production
of chip design programming tools, will be located in the area of
Viasphere Technopark in the autumn 2006. The technopark’s director
general Aram Vardanian told NT correspondent about it. According ti
A. Vardanian, Viasphere got the right to locate Synopsys Armenia in
its area, after the latter won a tender. Synopsys Armenia was offered
the best conditions in terms of using the technopark’s territory and
infrastructures, and will occupy a production area of 9 thousand square
meters out of the total area of 25 thousand sq.m currently occupied
by 18 companies. A. Vardanian pointed out that this step of Synopsys
Armenia shows that Synopsys continues to expand its activities in
Armenia. The company started its operation in Armenia by purcashing
Monterey Arset, Leda Systems and HPL Armenia companies in 2004-2005,
as a result of which Synopsys Armenia became the biggest company not
only in chip design and chip design programming tools production but
also in the whole IT sector. In December 2005, Synopsys employed about
300 people. To recap, in late 2005, the management of Synopsys and
Synopsys Armenia announced their intention to increase sharply the
number of their empoyees in Armenia in the next few years, for which
purpose they started cooperating with Yerevan State University and
the State Engineering University of Armenia by opening chip design
departments and laboratories there.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

7-8 TECHOPARKS CAN BE SET UP AT RA NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. It is possible to set up 7-8
technoparks, in particular those of laser technologies, microbiology,
superhigh frequency equipment, precision instrument making, on the
basis of some institutions of the RA National Academy of Sciences
(NAS). Aram Vardanian, Director General of Viasphere Technopark,
told NT correspondent about it. According to him, the possibility of
creating such technoparks was discussed with the RA NAS President Radik
Martirosian. He said that the draft law on technoparks, incubators
and scientific parks has been in circulation for a long time. The
draft envisages that such infrastructures should be given status of
a special economic zone. Such a legislative leverage for increasing
the investment attractiveness of technoparks is used throughout the
world. The speaker noted that the Armenian authorities have not yet
formed a single view on this issue.
Particularly, the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy objects
to the idea of granting such status to technoparks, as status
of a special economic zone presupposes certain tax and customs
privileges. A. Vardanian underlined the necessity of defining the
notion of technopark at least legislatively because, for example,
Viasphere is now operating as a close joint stock company (CJSC), which
does not provide the technopark’s companies with the opportunity to
sell electricity supply or phone services. Under such conditions, each
company of the technopark has no choice but to become a subscriber,
spending much time and resources on solution of problems unrelated
to scientific developments. In his words, there are 10-15 thousand
scientists, engineers, inventors and designers of the middle and old
generation in various spheres of Armenia, who have valuable ideas
and are prepared to work for a moderate payment in order to put their
ideas into practice but they lack funds and experience to turn their
ideas into scientific results and realize them. “These people need
sponsorship of venture funds, technoparks and incubators to generate
great results,” A. Vardanian said, adding that “only in case of forming
a 15-20 thousand army of technocrats actively engaged in their business
in Armenia, it would be possible to ensure an irreversible development
of high technologies in the country.”

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO FULL INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES INTO SOCIETY
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian President Robert
Kocharian on August 21 received the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Antonio Guterres.
According to a press release submitted to NT by the RA President’s
press service, during the meeting, R. Kocharian noted that the
problems of refugees are still urgent for Armenia. He considered the
full integration of refugees into the society to be the major task,
attaching special importance to the continuation of assistance of
and close cooperation with the Office of UN High Commissioner for
Refugees. Antonio Guterres spoke about the programs being implemented
in our country. Expressing his gratitude in this connection, Robert
Kocharian assessed the bilateral cooperation as highly efficient. The
sides exchanged ideas regarding various refugee-related issues,
their problems in the context of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and their
possible solutions. They expressed an opinion that the creation of
an atmosphere of trust between the sides may be greatly conducive to
the solution of the problems faced by refugees.
The Armenian President said that Armenia has repeatedly supported
the formula “towards peace through cooperation”, which, however,
has been rejected by Azerbaijan.