GYUMRI IN FIRST PLACE BY UNEMPLOYEMENT INDEX
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
GYUMRI, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. 19,700 unemployed persons are currently
registered at the Gyumri territorial job center. 16,111 of them
have the status of an unemployed. Gyumri is in first place among
Armenian cities by the unemployment index. Many of local residents,
who graduated from 1-2 higher educational institutions in the Soviet
time and have all necessary professional skills, are out of work
today. Former directors and engineers have become traders.
Misak Hayrapetian, who worked as a mechanization expert at the
former Lenshintrest for many years, now sells newspapers to support
his family.
“Previously I worked with pleasure, but now jobs are hard to come
by, so I have to sell papers and lottery tickets,” he said, adding
that this occupation does not bring a stable income. “Everything
has changed, prices have gone up, only human life has remained the
cheapest thing,” he noted.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) considers persons engaged
in such activities as the working poor who constitute nearly half
of the world’s working population. According to ILO’s estimates, in
order to reduce their number, states must create 43 mln jobs annually.

5 CRIMINAL CASES ON PANDERING AND TRAFFICKING INSTITUTED IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Only in the first quarter of 2006, 5
criminal cases on facts of pandering and trafficking were instituted in
Armenia, according to the materials of which 57 persons were exposed
to sexual exploitation, 53 of which were RA citizens and 4 citizens
of the Ukraine. Police Colonel Karen Babakekhian, Deputy Head of the
Chief Department on Struggle Against Organized Crime of RA Police,
Head of the Department on Illegal Circulation of Drugs and Struggle
Against Trafficking, informed about this at the June 14 meeting with
journalists. 10 of the above-mentioned persons were exposed to sexual
exploitation in RA and 47 abroad (45 in the United Arab Emirates, 2
in Turkey). According to K.Babakekhian, thanks to joint actions with
RF law-enforcement bodies 2 months ago RA law-enforcers prevented
the attempt of moving 4 Armenian women to the United Arab Emirates
from Moscow.
It was mentioned that 13 RA citizens are being searched in the United
Arab Emirates on facts of trafficking. K.Babakekhian mentioned that
the Armenian side is going to apply to the law-enforcement bodies of
the United Arab Emirates for the purpose of returning those searched
to Armenia.
K.Babakekhian called on the population to be careful and not to become
a victim of labor trafficking. Agencies engaged in such actions mainly
register the documents of their victims abroad, which gives them a
possibility to deceit these people. The Police has applied to the
government for the latter to set the order of licensing the agencies
of employment increasing day by day, as well the order of licensing
night entertainment establishments. The Police also proposed that
the night entertainment establishments be moved from the territory
of Yerevan, as this was done with the gambling-houses.
In response to a question of one of the journalists, K.Babakekhian
said that the number of prostitutes who have come to Yerevan from
regions is about 1000, 3-4% of prostitutes is under-aged girls of
15-17 years old. According to him, it is impossible to clarify the
number of under-aged prostitutes working abroad as their passport
data are forged.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROBLEMS OF MULTISTORIED BUILDINGS’ SEISMIC RESISTANCE SYSTEMS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON JUNE 15-17
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. An international conference on
problems of seismic resistance systems of multistoried buildings
with the participation of 42 experts from 9 countries will be held
in Yerevan on June 15-17. Mikael Melkumian, chief expert of the
engineering research center at the American University of Armenia,
Chairman of the Armenian Seismic Resistant Construction Association,
announced this during a press conference on June 13.
According to him, Armenia is one of the world’s leaders in the
development and use of seismic-proof rubber-metal systems. The sector’s
development started in 1994. Particularly, Armenia is the only country
where seismic insulation of residential and school buildings was done
during their use without moving residents temporarily to other places
and discontinuation of the edicational process. Besides, the tallest
buildings with seismic insulation in Europe – 16-storey ones are in
Yerevan. Buildings that have more than 16 floors and are provided with
seismic insulation are only in Japan and China. There are 30 buildings
with seismic insulation in Armenia (some of them were previously build,
others are under construction).
M. Melkumian reminded that the 8th world forum on seismic construction
took place in Yerevan in 2003.

CBA CHAIRMAN: WE’LL MAINTAIN FLEXIBLE EXCHANGE RATE IN COMING YEARS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. As in the previous years, in 2005 the
monetary and credit policy of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) was
focused on maintaining price stability and the target index of up to
3% inflation. The CBA has no intention to give priority to exchange
rate stability in the future either. The exchange rate regime will
continue being flexible as long as the dollarization degree is high
in Armenia. CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsian stated this at the June 13
sitting of the RA National Assembly when presenting the 2005 annual
report, which was taken into consideration.
According to him, the CBA policy was positively assessed by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB) and other
financial rating-related international organizations.
As regards the speculation over the sale of gold by CBA, T. Sargsian
said this transaction was conducted in 2003 with a profit of about 3
bln drams (about 6.7 mln USD). He qualified the attempts to mislead
the public as unacceptale. According to him, the gold was sold because
of the necessity to ensure revenues of 3 bln drams and transer this
money to the state budget to incur expenditures. He noted that the
gold reserves make up a small share of the gross foreign assets:
the gross foreign assets currently make 770 mln USD, while gold
reserves – only 15 mln USD. T. Sargsian noted that the countries,
whose foreign debt exceeds their gross foreign assets, do not keep
gold as a means of controlling foreign currency assets, so Armenia
too has no need to accumulate gold in the next few years.

OSKANIAN AND MAMEDYAROV DISCUSS THOSE PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT ON WHICH SIDES HAVE DISAGREEMENTS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 14 2006
PARIS, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. According to the
agreement reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in
Bucharest on June 5, Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Vartan
Oskanian’s and Elmar Mamedyarov’s meeting took place in Paris on June
13. Yuri Merzlyakov and Bernard Fassier, the OSCE Minsk Group RF and
French Co-Chairmen on Nagorno Karabakh Conflict Settlement and Andrzej
Kasprczik, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
were present at the negotiations.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, those principles and approaches put on the
negotiation table were discussed at the meeting round which the sides
have disagreements.
An agreement was reached to continue negotiations addressed to making
positions closer.

TURK CHAIRMAN OF NATO PA SUBCOMMITTEE ATTEMPTS TO REFUSE FACT OF GENOCIDE AT MEETING WITH RA NA SPEAKER
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA NA Speaker Tigran
Torosian received on June 13 members of joint delegations of the
Future Security and Defence Capabilies Subcommittee of the Defence
and Security Committee and the Democratic Management Subcommittee of
the Security Civil Measurement Committee of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly.
The NA Speaker mentioned that Armenia’s relations with the NATO develop
dinamically and expressed satisfaction with their level. It was also
mentioned that within that framework the Individual Partnership Actions
Plan has an exclusive meaning. Tigran Torosian considered the state of
Armenia’s associated member to the NATO PA as an important stimulus
for deepening relations, attaching importance to the issue that
those relations develop not only in the defence direction but also
in the directions of making the legislation going with democratic,
political and European standards. The Parliament Speaker separated
this period in life of Armenia as time of preparing for the 2007 and
2008 state elections and making the legislation corresponding to the
constitutional amendments. Then Tigran Torosian answered questions
of the delegations members that relate both to relations of NATO and
Armenia, and to works of region and National Assembly.
Vahit Erdem, the Chairman of the Future Security and Defence
Capabilities Subcommittee mentioned about their mission that the
problem is review of Armenia and NATO relations, taking into account
that as a result of geopolitical changes, the NATO was also changed
and turned into a structure of defending peace in the world which is
open for any country. Representative of Great Britain Frank Cook will
prepare the regional report.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NA Public Relations Department,
Erdem was interested in how Armenia prepares for the elections. NA
Speaker Tigran Torosian presented in details that the Parliament is
today engaged in reforms of the Electoral Code, the Venice Commission
experts’ opinion has already been got, after discussions of which and
agreeing with the political forces at the autumn session, the National
Assembly will already receive the Electoral Code. He also mentioned
that some principles are being experimented for to be defined and
improved in action. For holding elections corresponding to democratic
standards, the NA Speaker attached importance to creation of beneficial
moral-psychological atmosphere and cooperation of all parties.
Vitalino Canas, the representative of Portugal was interested if
Armenia, considering membership to the European Union as its’ foreign
political supremacy, is not going to join the NATO either. Tigran
Torosian reminded that there are EU member countries which are not
NATO members, and it is a normal phenomenon. He re-affirmed that
membership to the European Union is supremacy of foreign policy of
Armenia, and all steps are undertaken in the direction of Armenia’s
membership to the EU, and Armenia has made no statement about its
intention to join the NATO, and it said that it is successive on the
way of deepening relations, what is being done.
Chetin Kazak, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Democratic
Management, the representative of Bulgaria was interested in relations
of Armenia with two neighbors. The NA Speaker mentioned that Armenia
has stated many times that he is for normal relations with neighbors,
without proposing pre-conditions, and finds that contacts, discussions,
an open dialogue are necessary for establishing relations. Some
steps have already been taken at the PACE and within the framework
of the South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative, and Tigran Torosian
expressed a hope that neighbors as well will have readiness to take
steps forward.
Speaking about the report being prepared, Tigran Torosian mentioned
a number of principles that needs improvement: it was particularly
mentioned in the report that Armenia’s “international symphathizers”
consider that a genocide took place, when it’s necessary to mention
the EU member countries and the Europarliament which recognized the
Genocide. In response, representative of Turkey Vahit Erdem refused
the fact of the Genocide: according to his insistence, neither 1915
Armenian Genocide took place nor there was a state order to kill
Armenians, and it may be spoken just about 400-500 thousand people who
themselves attacked Turks by Russians’ instigation. Tigran Torosian
interrupted Turk deputy’s “history lecture” and calling on him to be
proper, considered incompatible such a behaviour with the post occupied
within the framework of the international organization. Tigran Torosian
reminded Vahid Erdem that he has no right to give estimations either to
Genocide or to Europarliament or to countries recognized the Genocide.

AGREEMENT ON DEVELOPMENT CREDIT BETWEEN REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION RATIFIED
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on June 14
ratified the agreement on development credit, which was signed between
the Republic of Armenia and the Internatioanl Development Association
(IDA) on April 7, 2006. The IDA will allocate for Armenia a credit
equivalent to 3.5 mln SDR for the purpose of implementing the renewable
energy program in the country. The credit is repayable over 40 years.

NATIONAL UNITY FACTION’S INITIATIVE TO CONVENE SPECIAL SESSION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FAILS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The NA National Unity faction’s
initiative to convene a special session of the National Assembly
with the aim of setting up an ad hoc commission failed. The task
of the commission would be to examine losses incurred by the local
producers and population as a result of the unfounded appreciation of
the Armenian dram in 2005-2006. By the end of the signature collection
deadline – June 14, 1:20 pm, only 26 deputies joined the initiative,
whereas the signatures of at least 44 deputies are required in order
to convene a session. According to the faction member Aghasi Arshakian,
7 deputies from the National Unity faction, 8 from the Justice faction,
5 from the Orinats Yerkir Party, 3 independent deputies and 3 from
the People’s Deputy group joined the initiative.

ANPP’S OPERATION TO BE DISCONTINUED FROM OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 15 FOR REFUELING
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The operation of the second power unit
of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) will be discontinued from
October 1 for 45 days for the purpose of regular refueling and repair,
the nuclear plant’s director Gagik Markosian told NT correspondent.
To recap, the RAO UES company, which has assumed the ANPP’s management
since 2003 for a 5-year period, imports nuclear fuel.

BILATERAL MEETINGS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF IMF DUTCH GROUP MEMBER STATES TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN ON JUNE 18
Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Parliamentary hearings on cooperation
between Armenia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will
be held in the RA National Assembly on June 16. During the event,
representatives of the IMF, the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy and
the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) will make speeches. Olga Stankova,
of the IMF Foreign Relations Department, stated this during a seminar
“The Role of IMF in Transitional Economies” on June 14.
According to her, IMF’s delegation will meet with the RA President,
government members and the Armenian Governor to IMF on June 17. On
June 18, bilateral meetings of representatives of the IMF Dutch Group
members states (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Armenia, Israel, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania,
Ukraine) will take place to discuss issues related to mutual trade,
tax regimes and obligations towards each other.
To recap, Armenia joined the IMF in May 1992, the country’s quota
in the IMF currently makes 92 mln SDR (about 135 mln USD) or 0.04%
of the overall quota. Armenia’s right of vote is 1.17 votes or 0.05%
of the total number of votes. The total amount of IMF’s credits and
loans to Armenia makes 123 mln 320 thousand SDR.